Dentists! Many of us have a healthy paranoia about visiting dentists - and for good reasons - like the painful needles in the gums, the unnerving high-pitched sounds of the drill, and those two words that will strike fear in even the bravest of patients – “root canal”. Dental procedures can be painful and expensive enough, but when the dentist cuts corners to save himself a few bucks, like, oh let’s say, using paper clips instead of those more hygienic and expensive stainless steel posts normally used in root canals. Well that’s exactly what one dentist did. And now, former dentist (a.k.a. The Paper Clip Dentist) Dr. Michael Clair is going to jail for one year.
According to the Md. Daily Record, Clair, who once maintained a dental practice in Massachusetts but who currently lives in Maryland, pleaded guilty earlier this month to a list of charges, including:
- assault and battery,
- defrauding Medicaid of $130,000,
- illegally prescribing medications, and
- witness intimidation.
Prosecutors said Clair sometimes used sections of paper clips when performing root canals in an effort to save money. Some of his patients reported infections and other problems.
Brenda Almeida said her teenage son’s tooth turned black and had to be removed after Clair performed a root canal on him in 2005. She said Clair also performed shoddy dental work on her other two children. ~ Daily Record
The prosecution wanted to send the evil dentist away for 5 - 7 years; but Clair got off with a 2½ year sentence with all but 1 year suspended. The former dentist will also be on probation for 5 years after his release from prison.
For more on this story, see this article’s attached video.
Also see:
- Medicaid fraud: Baltimore mental health provider charged
- Pa. health worker arrested for $181,000+ Medicaid Fraud scheme
- Men Can Stop Rape’ to launch new initiative: Jan. 31
- Dad jailed for setting his kids’ hair on fire
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