A Las Vegas dentist burned the mouth of a five-year-old girl while undergoing a routine dental procedure, according to a lawsuit filed this week.
About a year ago, the parents of the Las Vegas girl took the boy to Just For Kids Dentistry & Orthodontics to put several crowns on his teeth.
When the dentist, Deep Karan Dhillon, used a tool known as a diamond strawberry to soften the girl's teeth while under anesthesia, she emitted a spark that "caused the throat package in the mouth of the girl to swell and produced a fire "that lasted one or two seconds, according to the lawsuit filed by lawyers Alison Brasier and Daven Cameron.
The girl was rushed to the University Medical Center, where she was hospitalized for four days with burns on the palate and lower lip, according to the lawsuit. Dhillon, who is listed in the lawsuit as the owner of Just For Kids, said Friday he was not aware of the lawsuit and declined to comment.
The complaint alleges that the girl suffered burns to her epiglottis, throat, tongue, mouth, lips "and other surrounding areas." Some of the injuries "can be permanent and disabling," he adds.
The girl returned to the hospital about a week later for nine days after continuing to suffer from burns and hearing problems, the lawsuit alleges.
"It is my opinion that Just 4 Kids violated the standard of care by not adequately protecting the airways and committed a series of acts that established a truly 'incendiary' situation," wrote Donald Testa, a California oral and maxillofacial surgeon in a statement. Sworn filed along with the lawsuit.
The lawsuit, which seeks more than $ 15,000 in damages, also alleges that Dhillon "fell below the minimally acceptable standard of dental care," which resulted in "disabilities, disfigurement, pain and suffering, future surgical procedures and loss of enjoyment of life".
Dhillon has no history of disciplinary action against him, according to the records of the Board of Dental Examiners of the State of Nevada.
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