A SURREY dentist has been suspended for a year after a patient bled to her death hours after he pulled out her teeth.
Tushar Patel, a dentist at Confidential Clinics in Purley who had 30 years' dental experience, has been banned from working for a year after he pulled out 10 of the patient's teeth in the space of two weeks, it was reported on Tuesday (22).
A medical standards report revealed that he has been found unfit to practice following a "catalogue of errors."
Dr Patel treated the patient, who had advanced gum disease, in 2017, extracting five teeth on July 13 and another five on July 18. The patient had told him she was taking blood-thinning medicine Warfarin for a rare blood condition.
Hours after her extraction, the woman was rushed to a hospital and died there.
In March, 2018, a coroner ruled the cause of death was haemorrhage from the tooth extraction site and Warfarin treatment and dental extraction.
A ruling last week ruled that Dr Patel's fitness to practice was impaired.
He also "failed to pack the extraction sockets" and provide the patient with "post-operative instructions," the panel found.
The report stated: "These were basic errors which placed the patient at significant risk of harm, when this could have, and should have been avoided."
Dr Patel has apologised to the patient's family.
He said: "The patient's death was a tragedy and my sincere condolences go to the family.
"I always strive to provide the very best care for my patients, however, I accept the GDC's findings and deeply regret that there have been deficiencies in my practice relating to one patient. I can confirm that those issues have now been addressed."
