“This isn’t my face. I used to be real pretty.”
—Roblyn Ruggles, quoted in the Aug. 31, 1993 Wall Street Journal after eight oral-surgery procedures left her disfigured, without jaw joints, mouth permanently agape, and unable to bite into a sandwich or purse her lips for a kiss—a victim of jaw implants marketed by Drs. John Kent of the LSU School of Dentistry and his partner Charles Homsy of Houston.
“Dr. (Conrad) McVea stated both to me and to the Board that I could not be expected to comply with professional standards because I had not accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior.”
–Dr. Randall Schaffer, who is Jewish, in his federal lawsuit against the Louisiana Board of Dentistry and its members, including Dr. McVea, its attorney and its private investigator after the board revoked his license when he turned whistleblower against Dr. Kent’s faulty jaw implant.
Louisiana Voice 
Please send me more information about Dr. Kent’s jaw implants. My minor daughter had jaw surgery in 1996. Dr. kent did the surgery. He put an implant on her chin without our permission. I am extremely concerned. Thank you, L. M.
Sent from my iPad
This is referring to TMJ replacement. It sounds like your daughter may have had a jaw advancement surgery and chin implant. Definitely not the same procedure. While many will argue that Kent is an adequate surgeon, one has to question his ethics. You may want to have your daughter follow up with his office for clarification.
Thanx! Her surgery was in 1994.
Louisiana’s irresponsible elected officials, giving my state yet another black eye. I’m sick of them, and I am beyond ready for meaningful change.
Tom you have outlined Louisiana Dental Board activity very accurately.
Presently there are 11 dentist under investigation by board. LSBD is still multiplying the money by extortion. They have legal CONSENT DECREE, you pay fine and investigating fee. Dentist signs the CONSENT DECREE to gives up rights to complaints to any authority and lawsuits. I wish I could upload every one to see the draft of CONSENT DECREE. That is why LSBD has attorney Brain Begue in New Orleans, Jimmy Faircloth in Alexandria and Hickam. That’s how the extortion is facilitated by legal terms.The complaining patients in return get nothing. Most of the patients are undercover sent by the board.
To correct above problem we should create awareness and write to our legislature and LDA should take the initiative. I have talked most of the dentist and they will agree to all the below points.
1. Term limit of the dentist on board members, maximum for 3 year in life time.
2. Only 2 yrs maximum in consecutive year
3. Abolition of investigating fee by board
4. Adequate representation of minority groups as reservation
5. Adequate representative of female dentists as reservation
5. AG office as only prosecuting attorney
6. Complaints disposition within 3 months of complaint received, so that the patients have adequate time to bring any lawsuit against dentist for gross negligence.
7. One complaints event can’t be joined/consolidated with other complaints about the same dentist as all patients are different.
8. Dental review panel appointed by the board in local practice area that complaint has been filed. The dentist under investigation has right to select one member of the panel. Like medical review panel, it will keep the cost of investigation low and result in faster disposition.
9. Two panel members must be experts in the field of complaint and one should be general dentist.
10.The board can act on the dental panel recommendations
11. AG office can prosecute if the dentist does not follow the recommendation of board
12. Direct oversight by Louisiana speaker of the house as elected representative not Governor, as Speaker of the house is selected by the majority party.
We will call these D12 rules for legislation change. Please recommend changes and write your comments.
Here are some recommendations from 1 attorney.
1. Staggered term limits for Board members. By providing staggered
terms, the Board members will be less likely to hand down excessive
penalties for trivial matters if the Board members know they might be judged
accordingly when they are not sitting on the Board.
2. More detailed provisions governing investigative procedures allowed
by the Board. Currently, the statutes allow the investigating attorney to
conduct a “witch hunt” and inquire into ANY area of the dentist’s practice.
I recommend the statute only allow the investigating attorney to inquire
into areas complained about
3. Public complaints. Currently, a dentist may file a complaint and
the contents of that complaint and the identity of the complaining dentist
remains confidential. This severely hinders the ability of the attorney to
prepare a proper defense for the dentist when we don’t even know what has
been alleged. I recommend complaints be made public for two reason: 1. It
will cut down on frivolous complaints if the complaining party knows that
his/her name and complaint will be made public; 2. It will assist the
defense of the dentist when the attorney knows what they are defending
against.
4. Parameters for fines and penalties. Currently, the board can revoke
anyone’s license for just about any reason. There needs to be parameters
preventing the Board from revoking someone’s license over an advertising
issue or other minor/first time offenses.
I’d like these hearings moved before an administrative judge with a dental advisory panel at his disposal.
I’d also like to see the fines and fees go back to the state. The dental board has too much power acting with zero state oversight or constraint.
Lets get these lawyers and investigators off commission and give them a set salary. The board investigator should make about $60k and the board attorney should make around $120k. These $300k-$450k contracts are insane.
Oral surgery indeed can alter a facial feature, I once had a really square jaw but after my dentist in Austin removed an impacted wisdom tooth, I’ve seen some changes on my face.