Dentist left broken bit in boy's mouth for years

Part of one of the dentist's fine instruments separated or broke off during a root canal procedure. Photo / Getty

A dentist left part of a tool inside a teenager's mouth during a root canal, and didn't bother telling the patient for years.

Dr Gaurav Lakra has been censured for professional misconduct and fined $3000 after a Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal hearing.

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The tribunal heard a teenage boy, who was enrolled with Ruapehu Dental Excellence Centre, went to see Dr Lakra in July 2008.

During root canal treatment on July 14 that year, one of the dentist's fine instruments separated or broke off, and was left in one of the three roots in the boy's root canal.

Dr Lakra was aware the instrument had separated but made no record of the incident in clinical records, according to a new tribunal decision.

"Dr Lakra says he believed that there would be no issues arising from it and he did not wish to cause unnecessary concern to [the patient] or his family."

The teenager returned to see Dr Lakra in July 2010 for a check-up. The next month he visited the dentist again, complaining of a dull toothache.

The dentist tried to fix the problem but still did not tell the teenager or his parents about the broken-off instrument.

Even at later appointments, in September and December that year, Dr Lakra still did not mention the separated instrument.

But the teenager visited Dr Ron Ritchie of Hamilton for a second opinion in May 2011. He then learned about the instrument, and that the root had been widened and damaged.

Dr Ritchie referred the patient to an endodontist, Dr Mike Gordon, who confirmed Dr Ritchie's assessment.

The tribunal heard the teenager and his family were upset Dr Lakra had not told them about the separated instrument, and that he had not obtained informed consent for an earlier attempt to treat the problem.

The tribunal said Dr Lakra had made some changes to his practice since the fiasco. He attended a two-day patient communication course and introduced new policies around root canals.

Dr Lakra accepted his actions around the instrument amounted to professional misconduct and he co-operated with the disciplinary proceedings.

He was censured, fined $3000 and told to pay 30 per cent of the costs of the tribunal proceeding.

The patient was given name suppression, as was his family.

Dr Lakra could not immediately be reached for comment this afternoon.

The tribunal said after hearing from Dr Lakra and his lawyer Harry Waalkens QC it was persuaded there would be "no repetition" of the behaviour that landed the dentist in trouble, and he therefore presented no ongoing risk to the public.

- NZME