Dentist disciplined for failing patient
A DENTIST whose failings led to ‘lifechanging consequences’ for a patient has been disciplined by a standards watchdog.
Douglas Alexander Lee, who runs the Douglas Lee Dental Practice in Accrington, was reported to the General Dental Council ( GDC) by the patient and found to be responsible for a raft of failings into her treatment over a 26-month period.
He also used ‘foul language’ when talking about her treatment to a dental technician, the council found.
The patient, who has not been named, attended the surgery on Whalley Road following a referral from her treating dentist.
The GDC professional conduct committee was told that she was looking for a ‘long-term solution to pain, gum recession and aesthetic improvement’. She attended 27 appointments between June 2014 and August 2016 and her treatment included the removal of all her teeth in the upper arch, insertion of implants and a full arch bridge.
The panel found Mr Lee was responsible for various failures including failing to provide an ‘adequate standard of care’, not carrying out a full patient examination in advance of treatment, not providing adequate treatment options for the patient’s toothache and gum recession and failing to maintain an adequate standard of record keeping.
The GDC said Mr Lee’s ‘serious and extensive’ failings have had ‘lifechanging consequences’ for the patient and her treatment is ‘irreversible’.
In their ruling they stated that his treatment was ‘excessive, clinically unjustified and poorly executed’. Mr Lee was also found to have failed to communicate with the patient and a dental technician in an ‘appropriate and professional manner’.
The hearing was told that during a phone call to the dental technician in June 2015 Mr Lee said ‘this is beyond a f****** joke’ and on other occasions said ‘you’ve put me in an awkward position’, ‘I’ve lost a lot of f****** money’, ‘the f****** bridge is rubbish’ and that the patient had been ‘ back several times with f****** problems’.
The GDC said Mr Lee ‘did not hold back in being critical of [his] actions, omissions and what [he] would have done differently’ and ‘regretted’ his conduct.
He has also apologised to the patient in writing and during testimony given at the hearing.
The committee have imposed 16 conditions on his registration for 12 months after which the case will be reviewed.
Mr Lee declined to comment when contacted by the Observer.