[Sportschosun reporter Jang Jong-ho] A dental clinic in China has been sanctioned by authorities after it was found to have pulled all 12 teeth of a man in his 60s who suffered from heart disease and high blood pressure, then carried out implant surgery and even charged every last cent in his bank account.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), a man identified as Li, 63, who lives in Baoji, Shaanxi Province, China, visited a dental clinic last September for treatment of tooth pain. Li told local Chinese media that he went to the clinic after believing its advertisements, which claimed, "You can get implants in the morning and eat meat in the afternoon," and "If you have all your teeth, you can live to 100."
The clinic even sent a vehicle to pick him up and offered a free checkup. But during treatment, it pulled all 12 of his remaining teeth and then placed 10 implants.
The problem came after the procedure was completed. The clinic charged 18,800 yuan, or about 4.1 million won, from Li's bank account and mobile payment account, and still left an additional unpaid balance of 6,200 yuan, or about 1.37 million won.
His family was even more shocked by his medical condition.
Li had coronary artery disease, a history of myocardial infarction, diabetes and hypertension, and had four coronary stents inserted in his heart. For such patients, tooth extraction or implant surgery carries a higher risk of bleeding and cardiovascular complications, so treatment must be handled with far greater caution than for ordinary patients.
One dental specialist pointed out, "In principle, implant surgery should be performed only after a diabetic patient's blood sugar has been stably controlled," adding, "Extracting multiple teeth and placing implants at the same time carries significant risk."
In fact, a case was reported in China last year in which a man had 23 teeth extracted and 12 implants placed in a single operation, then died 13 days later.
After the incident, Li's family filed complaints with local health authorities three times. They argued that the medical records submitted by the clinic were incomplete and that some documents may have been falsified.
In fact, the hospital records incorrectly listed the patient's sex as female, and the record of a pre-procedure consultation with a cardiologist was submitted only six months after the surgery had already been completed.
Local health authorities said they confirmed violations of medical law and ordered the clinic to fully refund the treatment costs paid by Li. They also imposed a suspension and corrective order on the dental hospital.
Jang Jong-ho, bellho@sportschosun.com
