Failure to Provide Dental Care for Resident with Painful, Decaying Teeth
Penalty
Summary
A resident with multiple medical diagnoses, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, dementia, aphasia, cerebral infarction, chronic systolic heart failure, and type 2 diabetes mellitus, reported ongoing tooth pain and the need to see a dentist. The resident stated that he had informed staff about his dental pain for several months, but no action was taken beyond writing his request on a piece of paper. The resident had not seen a dentist since admission, and staff interviews confirmed that he was not on the facility's dental insurance and had not been scheduled for either in-house or outside dental appointments. Observation revealed the resident had missing lower teeth and a lower left molar with significant decay, covering about 90% of the tooth's surface. On the day of the survey, the resident was started on antibiotics for decaying teeth. The facility's policy required routine dental care, including preventative care and treatment, but this was not provided to the resident, resulting in untreated dental pain and decay.