State fines dentist $10,000
Published 11:03 pm Wednesday, September 5, 2007
A state disciplinary board has fined Lynnwood dentist George Whitehead $10,000, suspended his license at least through the end of the year and ordered him to take 41 hours of continuing education courses.
The actions, taken by the state’s Dental Quality Assurance Commission, found “clear and convincing evidence” that Whitehead’s treatment of a patient constituted unprofessional conduct.
This included what the commission described as prescribing “extremely excessive” amounts of narcotics for one patient’s pain.
“He’s ready to comply with all requirements and he’s going to move forward,” said John Mellen, Whitehead’s attorney. “He expects to be back at work in January.”
Whitehead has been a successful dentist and treated people for 34 years, Mellen said.
The case involved a patient treated between June 2004 and November 2006 who needed nine dental implants. The procedure involves inserting metal posts into the upper or lower jawbone. Bone growth fastens the implant in place, and the post is then used as roots for an artificial tooth.
In its order, the commission found that Whitehead failed to adequately examine, assess, evaluate, diagnose or develop a treatment plan for the patient.
In addition, they found that he did not adequately check out the patient’s complaints of severe pain during eight follow up visits after the surgery. One of implants had either been installed in or had migrated into the patient’s sinus cavity, the commission found.
Whitehead didn’t X-ray the patient for six months following the surgery, according to the disciplinary board.
The dentist also prescribed more than 3,148 tablets of two narcotics for pain, Oxycodone and Percocet, during a 29-month period ending in November 2006. The commission said that Whitehead did not document the reasons for prescribing the high levels of narcotics, calling it extremely excessive.
“It wasn’t that he had regularly over-prescribed but (just) in this one case,” said Mellen, Whitehead’s attorney. “He thought it was justifiable.”
The commission said that Whitehead also failed to adequately monitor the patient for possible physical or psychological addiction to the drugs.
Whitehead will not get his license reinstated until he completes continuing education courses ordered by the disciplinary board. These include courses on proper sedation of patients, prescription writing and record keeping.
He must also enroll in a program at the University of Washington Dental School, or another program approved by the commission, to assess his skills on sedating patients, prescription writing, crown and bridge work and dental implants.
The course work and professional assessment must be completed within 18 months.
The order prevents him from doing any surgical implant procedures for seven years, said Taylor Stair, disciplinary manager for the dental commission.
Whitehead was also ordered to have a “mentor” agreement with a dentist approved by the commission to review all his treatment plans on crown and bridge treatment or nonsurgical dental implants before beginning treatment on a patient.
Whitehead has up to three years to pay the $10,000 fine.
The commission officially suspended his license for seven years. However, the suspension could be put on hold after Jan. 1 if he meets the continuing education, mentoring and other requirements specified in the order.
Mellen has requested reconsideration of one part of the order, which prevents Whitehead from doing surgical implant procedures.
Reporter Sharon Salyer at 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com.
