Dentist sued for extracting child's permanent teeth

CEBU, Philippines - A dentist, who was sued for extracting two permanent teeth of a 7-year-old, is awaiting the decision of the court on his case for reckless imprudence resulting in serious physical injuries, with grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or in excess of jurisdiction.

The two parties rested their case and it is now up to the handling judge, Regional Trial Court Judge Raphael Yraztorza, to act on it.

Earlier, couple Arturo and Evelyn Duyongco filed the case against Dr. John Sidney Recamara after discovering that the dentist extracted two permanent teeth of their son instead of “milk teeth” like he assured them.

No teeth grew on the space where the dentist extracted the teeth from even after eight months.

The couple narrated that they went to Cebu to visit Recamara’s clinic to inquire about the gaps in their son’s front teeth. After evaluation, they were advised to have their son’s teeth x-rayed.

Based on the x-ray result, the couple said, they were told by Recamara that their son’s teeth were already starting to grow on both sides and they were advised to have these extracted.

“However, after more than 8 months, the expected growth of Klarc’s lateral teeth never appeared and the gap on his teeth remained,” they said.

Complainants said they again went to Recamara’s clinic on April 15, 2003 and the latter requested that another x-ray be conducted on their son’s teeth.

They said it was on May 8, 2003 when Recamara extracted the other teeth of their son to avoid the use of expensive braces in case their son’s teeth overlapped in the future.

They added Recamara extracted the teeth of their son believing it was a milk teeth and not permanent teeth.

The couple said when they notice that their son’s teeth never grew they immediately got a second opinion from another dentist.

“From the second dentist, they learned that the panoramic x-ray results showed that the lateral teeth extracted were actually the permanent teeth already, not milk teeth as told by them by Recamara,” the facts of the case reads.

The couple added they learned that the lost teeth of their child could no longer be replaced. — (FREEMAN)