Dentist left gran bleeding, court told (From The Argus)

Dentist left gran bleeding, court told

8:03am Thursday 11th January 2007

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A grandmother told a medical hearing how she was left shocked and bleeding after a dentist pinned her down to pull out her teeth without anaesthetic.

The 87-year-old said David Quelch forced her down into the dentist's chair and removed two teeth against her will "to teach her a lesson".

The retired nurse hadvisited Quelch's practice at St Leonards Road, Bexhill, for a filling in September 2001.

But he failed to ask about her medical history and his attitude was casual and unprofessional, the General Dental Council heard yesterday.

She said: "He didn't carry out a general examination or ask about my medical history. He just replaced the loose tooth. I found the filling unsatisfactory, I had problems with it afterwards."

The woman, referred to only as Patient A, later returned to his surgery and told Quelch she had seen a doctor and complained about the dental treatment she had received.

She said Quelch then pulled out her teeth and shouted: "That'll teach you not to complain to the doctor about me.

She said: "Mr Quelch told me to sit in the chair and raised my feet above my head.

"I told him I had pain and he told me he was going to extract my teeth. I objected, I didn't think it was necessary.

"He ignored my remarks and pulled out the tooth. I was bleeding profusely.

"He lowered my head and pushed my chest and proceeded to extract the other tooth against my will. I was very upset and alarmed."

She said that she asked to spit blood into a bowl but Quelch refused and said: "No, don't spit in the bowl, you might have Aids."

Patient A, who lives in Bexhill, said: "I said I didn't want my tooth removed. He pushed me back, pushing me hard across my chest and extracted the second tooth. All I wanted was a filling."

She said a nurse was pushing down on her head throughout the procedure.

She went on: "I was very shocked and frightened. I wanted to get away. I ran to the door and he called out, That'll teach you not to complain to the doctor about me'. I was shaking all over. I was very shocked. I put a hankie to my mouth, because I was bleeding terribly."

She said Quelch did not give her anything to stop the bleeding and failed to give her any pain relief before the treatment.

She claimed she was bedridden for three days following the treatment and was left with large gaps in her mouth.

Quelch, of Cooden Drive, Bexhill, has chosen not to attend the hearing in central London.

He is also accused of unnecessarily exposing Patient A and another patient, known as patient B, to radiation by taking inadequate radiograph pictures of their jaws.

Quelch is further accused of not charting Patient A's teeth or gum condition.

The second elderly complainant, Patient B, visited the surgery in September 2004 and October 2005.

He is accused of wrongly telling her on both occasions that he had performed a root canal filling and claiming payment for the work from the Dental Practice Board.

Quelch also failed to keep adequate medical records for the patient, it is said. He could be struck off if found guilty of serious professional misconduct in his absence.

The hearing continues.

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