Westerville Dentist May Face Disciplinary Action
By Misti Crane, The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio
Jan. 3–A Westerville dentist known for his unconventional approaches might be punished by the Ohio State Dental Board.
Dr. Wesley G. Shankland is accused of inappropriate care of 12 patients from 1999 to 2001, according to a letter sent to him by board secretary Dr. Edward Hills.
The letter mailed to Shankland’s Cleveland Avenue practice lists 14 counts against him and says that he:
— Operated on three patients without adequate testing beforehand.
— Removed 14 teeth inappropriately from four patients.
— Performed excessive and/or unnecessary surgery on six patients.
— Caused injuries that led to the removal of four teeth in one patient.
— Failed to consider alternative treatments and run appropriate tests.
— Overprescribed pain medicines.
Shankland, 54, is a 1978 graduate of the Ohio State University College of Dentistry. He has published two books on temporomandibular joint problems, commonly known as TMJ.
Neither he nor his staff responded to a phone message left at his office yesterday.
All dentists facing punishment by the dental board have an opportunity for a hearing before the board decides whether to take action. The most severe punishment is revocation of the dentist’s license.
Shankland is a leading proponent of “neuralgia inducing cavitational osteonecrosis,” a diagnosis that is controversial among dentists and can lead to removal of multiple teeth and parts of the jaw.
Dentists who believe in the condition think that pain, pressure and other problems are caused by lesions in the jaw.
Shankland’s Web site, www.drshankland.com, includes information on the diagnosis and other dental issues, including some opinions that root canal fillings are not safe.
The letter from the board does not say what conditions Shankland was treating in the 12 patients mentioned.
mcrane@dispatch.com
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Copyright (c) 2007, The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio
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