Brentwood dentist caught abusing his own laughing gas while on the job, board finds

Brett Kelman | Nashville Tennessean

Have you heard the one about the dentist who got high on his own stash? It’s not that funny.

A long-practicing Brentwood dentist has lost his medical license after being caught abusing nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, while in the office with patients scheduled for treatment.

Dr. Ronald S. Wright Jr. was witnessed abusing the gas by his staff on at least three occasions, according to Tennessee Board of Dentistry documents that became public this month.

The documents say that Wright asked his employees to lie about his nitrous oxide use if they were ever asked about it by an investigator from the government.

Instead, his staff reported the abuse, saying Wright appeared “erratic” and “impaired” during business hours.

“(Wright) would lock himself in his office during business hours with the nitrous oxide and patients with appointments would have to be sent home and rescheduled,” the documents state.

Wright, 46, a dentist at Tennessee Endodontics on Old Hickory Boulevard in Brentwood, has been licensed in Tennessee since 1997 and worked in the Middle Tennessee region since at least 2002.

Wright did not respond to a request for comment left at the clinic. A representative for Tennessee Endodontics said neither Wright nor the clinic have seen any patients since May but declined all other comment.

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Wright also appears to have at one point worked out of another dentist office, bearing his own name, along Nashville Highway in Columbia. The phone line at this office is disconnected.

As a result of his laughing gas abuse, Wright’s medical license was suspended indefinitely the Tennessee Board of Dentistry last month. Wright signed the order and agreed not to contest the reports of abuse.

The board order states that Wright can potentially restore his license if he seeks addiction treatment and is evaluated and approved by the Tennessee Dental Association’s wellness committee. If restored, Wright’s license would still be kept on probationary status for five years.

Wright’s medical license was previously reprimanded in 2016 for failing to obtain enough continuing education hours on the use of anesthesia, including laughing gas.

Wright admitted himself to an addiction center in Chicago in May, the board order states.

Wright's suspension was revealed through a monthly announcement by the Tennessee Department of Health, which maintains public records on licenses for doctors, nurses, chiropractors, massage therapists and other health care professionals throughout the state. More than 100 disciplinary actions were included in the latest monthly report.

Brett Kelman is the health care reporter for The Tennessean. He can be reached at 615-259-8287 or at brett.kelman@tennessean.com. Follow him on Twitter at @brettkelman.