Noteboom The Law Firm

More Problems For Dayton VA Dental Clinic

March 28, 2011 - Dr. Dwight Pemberton is the dentist who formerly worked at the Dayton Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Dental Clinic. Dr. Pemberton's lack of proper infection control practices may have resulted exposing 535 of his patients to hepatitis and HIV. This was the reason the Dayton VA Dental Clinic was shut down last year. Dr. Pemberton, however, was not the extent of the problems at that clinic.

Following the discovery of Dr. Pemberton's possible wide spread infection, the VA launched their own internal investigation. Workers interviewed as part of that investigation paint a fairly outrageous picture of the Dayton VA Dental Clinic. Workers' testimony claimed they were crippled in fear of management. Their testimony detailed how "poorly run" the clinic was, how the clinic was constantly understaffed, and how management not only "cut corners," but seemingly accepted behavior multiple workers described as inappropriate.

One worker likened working with another dentist, whose name has not been released, to witnessing child abuse. That worker stated that dentist not only performed unnecessary procedures, but would break teeth while performing extractions. Further, unlicensed students were given the ability to perform dental work while unsupervised, for which their supervising dentists then took credit.

Multiple Dayton VA Dental Clinic patients complained of poor and substandard care. This is not surprising given how the leadership of the clinic failed, according to VA Sec. Eric Shinseki. Although the clinic does argue that the allegations against the second dentist are inaccurate or untrue, there are many who are still not impressed with the clinic's response to the uncovered issues.