PICTURE the scenario. You’re trapped in a dentist’s chair with various bits and bobs stuck in your gob and quite unable to clearly articulate your fury when your lunatic dental practitioner begins preaching at you.

Australian dentist Paul Gardner’s behaviour certainly left one of his patients spitting mad – and he is now in hot water with the Dental Board of Australia.



According to this report, in December 2008 the Geelong dentist took his patient’s “facial expression and body language” to mean she questioned the Bible and, upon seeing a dragon inked on her skin, insisted that tattoos served to de-sensitise people against scriptural prophecies.

Not surprisingly, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal found Gardner’s conduct was of “a lesser standard” than what was expected.

Lawyer Patrick Monahan, acting for the dental board, said Dr Gardner has failed to comprehend the seriousness of his actions and was:

Likely to repeat his behaviour as he ever was.

Monahan also rejected the argument the Geelong dentist was merely having a conversation about religion. In his submission to have Gardner suspended or disqualified for up to 18 months, he said:

He wasn’t just talking, he was trying to change her view. He was trying to persuade her that he was right and she was wrong.

The tribunal heard the dentist had also offered the patient an “alarming and intense” DVD, which the tribunal heard was offensive to Muslims and Catholics.

In Gardner’s defence, Jeff Gleeson acknowledged unprofessional conduct but said a ban would end the dentist’s career.

Gleeson also referred to the 2,900 current patients his client had amassed during his 26-year career, labelling the incident as a “bump along the path”.

Gleeson also said the patient’s account of the dentist’s “anti-semitic diatribe” during the consultation could have been “a misunderstanding”.

Six months before the incident, Gardner was fined $10,000 after he told a schizophrenic patient that she was possessed by the devil and could be cured through his church’s spiritual healing.

The practising Christian claims that disciplinary action against him was part of a Masonic or Catholic plot that infringed his human rights. He has sent the dental board “threatening” letters demanding $175,000 in compensation.

Hat tip: Bill Murray