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A former Fall River dentist who was accused of using paper clips in root canals was sentenced Monday to one year in jail.
The sentencing follows a judgment the Attorney General’s Office obtained in 2010 against another former dentist with Fall River ties for alleged misdeeds.
Asked if these incidents hurt the profession’s image, a SouthCoast dentist said patients’ views depend more on whether or not they have a good relationship with their own dentist.
“In general, dentists are held in fairly high esteem by the public,” said Dr. Milton Glicksman, a dentist with a practice in Dartmouth. “I don’t think one or two bad apples change that much.”
Dr. Michael Clair, who was sentenced Monday in Fall River Superior Court, had pleaded guilty earlier this month to various charges, including assault and battery, defrauding Medicaid of $130,000, illegally prescribing medications and witness intimidation. Clair, 53, who had a dental practice in Fall River, now lives in Crofton, Md.
Prosecutors said Clair sometimes used sections of paper clips instead of stainless steel posts in root canals in an effort to save money. Some of his patients reported infections and other problems.
Clair’s license to practice dentistry was suspended in Massachusetts in 2006. A spokesman for Attorney General Martha Coakley said Clair is no longer licensed to practice dentistry in any state.
In November 2010, the Attorney General’s Office said it obtained a judgment against former dentist Gary Anusavice, 57, of East Greenwich, R.I., “resolving allegations that he orchestrated an unlawful dental treatment and financing scheme at three high-volume dental clinics he allegedly opened and managed,” including Fall River-based Spectrum Dental, later known as Coast Dental.
He was accused of charging for the entire treatment on patients’ first visits, then failing to complete the treatment regimen or providing shoddy treatment. The judgment required Anusavice to pay the state $237,500, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
The state Board of Registration in Dentistry acts as a consumer protection agency, reviewing complaints against dentists and hygienists, said Glicksman, who serves on the board. (He said he was speaking for himself, not for the board.)
Staff investigators first look into the complaints. The board members, who meet monthly, will review the results of the investigations and chose a response, ranging from dismissal of complaint to reprimand or revocation of license, Glicksman said.
“If we feel someone is doing something that endangers the public, we will take away their licenses,” he said.
If there is a possible criminal violation, the board refers the matter to the Attorney General’s Office. The number of complaints has remained steady, and license revocations and criminal referrals are rare, Glicksman said.
Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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Article source: http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120131/NEWS/201310328/-1/NEWSMAP
Tags: dentistry-news
