Dentist to compensate patient for painful root canal

The Bandra District Consumer Redressal Forum has directed a Kandivali-based dentist to pay Rs 75,000 to a woman for deficiency in service. The dentist, Shaung Lo Chen, allegedly administered wrong treatment and extracted two of her healthy teeth.In November 2007, Parvati Singh, a Kandivali resident, experienced acute pain in her left lower molar and approached Chen. He immediately put her under treatment and suggested root canal treatment.

At the time of the operation, Chen told Singh that two other molars were severely decayed and required extraction. Singh allowed him to do so.

However, following the procedure, the pain did not subside. When Singh approached Chen again, he told her that she needed to take good care of her teeth and administered pain killers.

Singh claimed that she put up with the ordeal for over six months and finally approached Dr Mayank Shah. Singh found out that instead of the decayed teeth, Chen had extracted healthy ones. Shah told Singh that this treatment was carried out without the basic X-ray test, a must in dental treatments.

Singh underwent the treatment again and on recovery, sent a legal notice to Chen in February 2009. Chen replied that he had done exactly what was needed. She then moved the consumer forum in July 2009.

On May 10, forum members J L Deshpande and N D Kadam, basing their orders on apex court orders, said Chen had deliberately operated on the wrong tooth. "There is no apparent reason why two healthy teeth were extracted and no X-ray tests carried out," the order stated. The forum asked Chen to pay the sum within eight weeks, failing which he would also have to pay an interest of nine per cent for the period of delay.