Florida dentist follows patient’s preference Instead of his own judgment in crown and bridge treatment – $25,000 settlement.

The fifty-six year old plaintiff visited the defedant general dentist for reconstructive dental treatment. She was missing most of her teeth and her remaining teeth were in general disrepair with significant amounts of bone having been lost to periodontal disease. The only acceptable treatment was the extraction of her remaining teeth and the construction of complete dentures. The defendant told her this and she refused, insisting on implants. Although the defendant resisted, he eventually relented and referred the patient for the insertion of blade implants by an oral surgeon. Upon her return, the defendant made fixed bridgework which he attached to the implants and which failed immediately. The patient went from dentist to dentist to get her ill-fitting and loose bridgework recemented, each time being told that she needed extraction of her remaining teeth and full dentures. She sued the defendant dentist, taking the position that he did exactly what she wanted knowing that it was wrong to do so.

The case was settled prior to trial for $25,000. Kenneth P. Liroff, D.D.S., J.D., of