Dental News - Patient sues dentist after swallowing dental instrument

Dental Tribune International

Tue. 1 May 2012

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LEXINGTON, Ky., USA: A female patient has filed a lawsuit against her former dentist from Fayette County, accusing him of severe negligence. Since he had not taken adequate precautions during a routine procedure, the patient swallowed a dental screwdriver, which passed through her digestive tract and had to be removed surgically.

On May 26, 2011, Lena David, a 71-year-old resident of Nicholasville, was treated by Dr W.B. Galbreath. According to the lawsuit file, he removed composite from six implant entrances on her lower denture and cleaned the implant bar using an implant screwdriver, as he described it in his treatment notes.

Supposedly, Galbreath lost control of the dental instrument during the treatment. Since he had not used any oral barrier to prevent the patient from swallowing the tool, David reflexively swallowed it when the dentist dropped it into her mouth.

After that, the patient tried to regurgitate the instrument unsuccessfully. Instead of sending the patient to an emergency room, Galbreath is claimed to have instructed her to go to a nearby chiropractic center for X-rays. The radiograph showed that the screwdriver had moved into her stomach. According to the lawsuit, the dentist discharged her and ordered David to eat a diet high in fiber and to look for the screwdriver after bowel movements.

On June 23, David was taken to St. Joseph Hospital in Lexington, suffering from intense pain in her abdomen. The surgeons had to remove the screwdriver immediately after they found that it had blocked David's digestive tract. She had to stay in hospital for six days, experiencing "a long and difficult recovery," the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit accuses Galbreath of dental negligence, since he "failed to provide care and treatment with that degree of care and skill ordinarily expected of a reasonably competent dentist acting under similar circumstances."

David is seeking compensation for her pain and suffering and medical expenses. The incident has rendered the patient permanently unable to earn money, according to the document.

According to various recent media articles, Galbreath has not commented on the allegations.

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