Massachusetts—a former dentist was accused of placing paper clips in his patients’ mouths instead of the appropriate stainless steel posts used in root canal procedures so that he could bill Medicaid for the full amount and pocket the money. The Massachusetts state attorney general announced on Tuesday that a grand jury indicted former dentist Michael Clair last week of assault and battery, larceny, submitting false claims to Medicaid and illegally prescribing drugs.
Clair has had other problems in the past. In fact, in 1999 the state of Maryland revoked his license for performing unnecessary root canals and filling replacements to drive up Medicaid bills. In some cases, the unnecessary procedures forced patients to undergo reparative root canals. Then, in 2001, Florida also revoked Clair’s license, accusing him of similar behavior. Finally, Massachusetts started a review of Clair’s cases, which led to his license suspension in 2005. Overall, Clair billed Medicaid for $130,000 in faulty services while working in Massachusetts between 2003 and 2005. Most recently, Clair’s license was revoked in West Virginia in 2006. Let’s hope that’s the end of his dental career.
Please watch the video below for an interview with one of Clair’s former dental patients:
