Dentist Danced While Drilling, Suit Says

[Judi Lynn]

Dentist Danced While Drilling, Suit Says
Dentist Danced Along to the Radio While Drilling, Injuring Patient, Federal Lawsuit Claims
The Associated Press
SYRACUSE, N.Y.


A dentist was dancing to a song on the radio while drilling on a woman's tooth, and she wound up in the hospital when the drill bit snapped off and lodged near her eye, a lawsuit alleges.

Brandy Fanning, 31, said she had to undergo emergency surgery and spent three days in the hospital because of the October 2004 mishap.

The federal lawsuit filed last month against Dr. George Trusty seeks $600,000 for her medical expenses, pain and suffering.

Trusty, 57, a dentist at Syracuse Community Health Center, declined to comment, as did Dr. Ruben Cowart, the center's president and CEO.

Fanning said she went to the center's emergency dental clinic after pain in a left molar started getting worse. With a root canal ruled out as an option, Trusty gave her some Novocain and began drilling to break up the tooth before extracting it, she said.

As Trusty drilled, he was "performing rhythmical steps and movements to the song `Car Wash,'" which was on the radio, according to the lawsuit. Then, Fanning heard a snap.

More:
http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=3812772

[Lance_Boyle]

1. malpractice insurance should cover this

Although I wonder... how in the fucking HELL was the guy drilling her tooth to bits (which is how 3 of my 4 wisdom teeth were removed) and she was able to recall what fucking song was on the radio, or even that he was dancing? I'd say that drilling apart molars for extraction without conscious sedation qualifies as malpractice, regardless of dance moves.

[TwilightGardener]

2. You can't not dance to "Car Wash". Case closed--the court finds for the defendant.

[Laughing Mirror]

3. And his name was Dr. Trusty

You really don't have to read fiction for irony, do you? It's every day in the daily news.

[jkshaw]

4. Your photo of Alfalfa

is a nice touch!

[Swamp Rat]

5. My childhood dentist used to sing most of the time.

It made me feel more calm. :)

From what I read I do not see a correlation between dancing and drill bits snapping. Sounds like a faulty drill bit to me.

[Xithras]

9. Indeed.

Even if he twisted the bit, the metal would have needed to have been weaker than the tooth for a failure like that to occur. Faulty bit.

[emilyg]

6. Just a happy man.

[wndycty]

7. Hey get your car washed today!

Fill up and you don't have to pay!

[PCIntern]

8. As some of you may know...

I'm a dentist. I can see this happening...this guy probably danced and sang his way thru thousands of these and this was the unlucky moment. We have a surgeon in our area who sings when he takes teeth out...poorly I might add. All the patients who return to us laugh about it. that's because everything goes OK...when it doesn't; big trouble.

[Lisa]

10. Personally I would prefer singing and dancing to bad comedy!

My dentist always fantasized about a second career in stand-up. Unfortunately, trying out his material on me was probably not the best option, because when he was funny (and he could be, I have to admit), it's dangerous to laugh when there's a sharp instrument in one's mouth. And when he bombed, it took extra effort to seem appreciative (during teeth-cleaning, etc.).


p.s. I wonder if Dr. Trusty does requests? I would like the "dentist songs" medley from "Little Shop of Horrors: the Musical".

[PCIntern]

11. Yeah, well we're also tired of patients asking,

"Is it safe?"...

[Lisa]

12. Not something I've asked my dentist, because it just seemed too obvious a comic setup (n/t)

[Fleshdancer]

13. so she thinks the drill bit wouldn't have snapped off if he wasn't dancing?

It sounds like a case of faulty machinery, not rhythm. Now the dentist should be questioned for his poor taste in music, but that's a different lawsuit all together.