A Clairemont dentist accused of performing unnecessary root canals and steel crowns on baby teeth has officially been disciplined by the state. The Dental Board of California ruled the pediatric dentist can continue treating patients on probation.
Under the terms of his probation, Dr. Khuong Nguyen can work as a dentist for at least 16 hours a week, if he wants to maintain his license. And in California, dentists serving a probation period with the dental board don’t have to tell their patients about it.
After NBC 7's first investigation into Nguyen aired back in February, NBC 7 started getting calls and emails from parents. In the end, more than a dozen parents said he performed unnecessary dental work on their children, in most cases on baby teeth.
Now, four years after the Dental Board of California first received a parent complaint, it’s agreed to give Nguyen less than three years probation.
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“It seems like they protect the dentists more than they do the consumers, and that’s a concern,” said patient safety advocate Marian Hollingsworth in reaction to the settlement.
NBC 7 Investigates Previous Coverage
“The fact that he got any probation at all is good. The fact that it took so long is bad. The fact that it’s hard for people to find is bad," Hollingsworth said.
Hollingsworth says it’s not realistic to expect patients to check the state dental board site every time they schedule a visit with their dentist.
“People just don’t have the time to do that. They trust the agency to make sure that medical professionals are safe and that’s not always the case,” says Hollingsworth.
An NBC 7 investigation in March discovered it took more than three years on average for the state dental board to investigate a complaint against a dentist.
“It's ridiculous to have them take that long,” said Hollingsworth. “It puts people at risk during that time.”
And it appears the settlement was signed in August, but didn’t go into effect and wasn’t made public until December.
“I think they’re failing consumers by not doing a better job of regulating these professionals,” said Hollingsworth.
If you want to check your dentist before going in for a visit, you can look up their license on the dental board website here. There you can search for your dentist by first and last name to check for disciplinary accusations and rulings.
Five months after our first report, Nguyen closed his Clairemont practice. It’s unclear if he’s practicing anywhere right now. We reached out to his lawyer, but haven't heard back.
In a statement Friday, a spokesman for the dental board told NBC 7 that consumer protection is a priority and that each case is unique as is the timeline to complete the investigation.
