London dentist suspended over patient who bled to death Published duration 23 October 2019

image copyright Graeme Robertson/Getty image caption Tushar Kantibhai Patel will not be able to practice as a dentist for 12 months

A dentist whose patient bled to death when she had five teeth removed has been suspended for misconduct.

Tushar Kantibhai Patel, of Purley, south London, operated on the woman, known as Patient A, despite her telling him she was taking an anti-clotting drug for a rare blood disorder.

The General Dental Council found he should have sought further advice prior to carrying out treatment.

Patient A died in July 2017 from severe bleeding from her mouth.

She had gone to Mr Patel who had removed her teeth in order to be fitted with dentures.

On 18 July 2017 she had five teeth extracted but that evening was admitted to the emergency unit at King's College Hospital, London, with severe bleeding from her mouth.

This was stopped by gauze, pressure and local anaesthetic and she was advised not to rinse for 24 hours before being discharged.

But she collapsed at home early the next day after the bleeding in her mouth resumed.

She was taken by ambulance to the hospital where she died the following day.

A subsequent inquest found the cause of death was haemorrhage from tooth extraction site, brought on by Warfarin (anti-clotting drug) treatment and dental extraction.

Her dental records showed no bleeding risk assessment was carried out at any of her five appointments with Patel, who had also failed to record any discussions about her complex medical history.

Patel, a dentist of 30 years, admitted to all the allegations, and expressed his "sincere remorse" over Patient A's death.

It was found that since the death he had undertaken a self-audit of 15 extraction cases, reported to a supervisor on a monthly basis as well as observed the management of medically compromised dental patients at a hospital.

His suspension will run for 12 months.