Thomas Cooney, DDS, has filed to challenge the revocation of his dental license, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch.
Mr. Cooney, who was issued a license by the Iowa Dental Board in 1988, recently had his license revoked after the board found allegations of inadequate patient care and unsanitary conditions to be supported by fact.
In August 2018, Mr. Cooney entered a settlement agreement with the board related to alleged treatment deficiencies. His license was placed on probation for five years.
In 2019, the dental board filed new charges alleging Mr. Cooney didn't comply with infection control standards. The issue was settled in June 2020, when the dentist was required to comply with the remaining terms of his probationary period and find an infection control monitor to inspect his practice. In December 2020, the monitor submitted a report outlining several violations that allegedly rendered the office unsafe for dentistry. The report, along with Mr. Cooney's failure to fully comply with probation terms and several recent patient complaints, led to an emergency suspension of his license in January 2021.
The board then had a dentist review a random sampling of Mr. Cooney's patient records, including the records of three patients who had filed recent complaints. The reviewer found 12 of 13 records failed to meet the minimum standard for dental record‐keeping. One record didn't support Mr. Cooney's decision for extractions, while another patient was charged for X-rays that weren't provided, according to findings cited by the Dispatch.
Another expert reported dental instruments exposed in drawers, rather than sterilized and stored until use. Certain instruments were simply disinfected between patients rather than sterilized, and there weren't any in-office receptacles for safe disposal of needles, reports the Dispatch.
"Revocation is the only sanction that will reasonably ensure adequate protection for the public," the board said in its decision. "Dr. Cooney has been given repeated opportunities to correct identified deficiencies in infection control through continued education, inspection and reporting. Despite these opportunities, several infection control violations and general safety issues remained as late as April 2021."
Mr. Cooney is now seeking a court order that will immediately remand the case to the dental board for reconsideration.