January 24, Associated Press – (Massachusetts) Dentist accused of paper clip use in root canals. A former dentist in Fall River, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to Medicaid fraud for using paper clips instead of stainless steel posts in root canals. Additional charges include defrauding Medicaid of $130,000, assault and battery, illegally prescribing prescription drugs, and witness intimidation. Some of his patients reported
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infections after he performed root canals on them, said a spokesman for the state attorney general’s office. Prosecutors said the 53-year-old was suspended by Medicaid in 2002, but continued to file claims from August 2003 to June 2005 by using the names of other dentists in his practice. His license to practice dentistry was suspended in Massachusetts in July 2006, and he currently is not licensed to practice dentistry in any state. Authorities said instead of stainless steel posts for root canals, he used sections of paper clips in an effort to save money. Source:
Dentist Pleads Guilty To Medicaid Fraud For Using Paper Clips In Root Canals | Fox News