Impaired dentist ordered to reimburse patients, attend rehab
Henderson, NV (KTNV) - After a nearly six month long battle, a Henderson dentist is admitting to a list of illegal and, in some cases, dangerous behavior.
The Nevada State Board of Dental Examiners is ordering Dr. Dee Deevers to pay back tens of thousands of dollars he owes to patients and also pay the board back for the cost of the investigation.
Dr. Deevers is also being ordered to attend drug and mental rehabilitation if he ever wants a chance to practice dentistry again.
Deevers is voluntarily surrendering his license pending discipline.
The attorney representing the Nevada State Board of Dental Examiners say he had substantial evidence to prove all of Deever's bad behavior on the job.
By allowing the Dentist to admit to his wrongdoings, the public can still win, by first giving Deevers a chance to pay back everything he owes.
"The motivation of having an semblance of a chance to apply sometimes can motivate others, and that's what we're hoping for," said attorney John Hunt.
More than 40 pages released by the Nevada State Board of Dental Examiners list everything Deevers is confessing to.
In the documents, Deevers admits to appearing impaired at the office, prior to testing positive for controlled substances and illegal drugs, such as cocaine. Deevers admits to repeatedly violating state pharmacy regulations by issuing prescriptions for controlled substances without holding a valid permit.
He also owns up to obtaining prescriptions by using his now prior associates DEA numbers without their knowledge or authorization.
These are just some of the confessions, part of step one, if Deevers ever plans on resubmitting his application to retake the dental exam.
The next is paying back a list of patients, who have filed complaints.
"The success is there so the public is protected. Dr. Deevers is not in the position to hurt any other people at this point and time," added attorney John Hunt. "I envision it will be a long, arduous road for Dr. Deevers."
Patients who attended Sun Valley Dental, in the 2600 block of North Green Valley Parkway, recall the office they've been visiting for years closing without explanation.
An order of suspension resulted in the office closing its doors at the beginning of the year.
"I put my faith in him. You put your faith in your dentist, your doctor, whoever you're dealing with. You put your faith in them, and he disappointed me," explained Eileen Strumlauf, who is owed more than $21,000 dollars.
From January to now, Strumlauf has sat with two missing teeth in the back of her mouth.
She recalls her last visit to the Henderson office, waiting nearly an hour for Dr. Deevers to enter the room and take care of two dental implants. She remembers an assistant telling her to wait.
"He says, no, he'll be in. He'll be in soon. Next time he comes in, he says, he went home. He's in pain," recalls Strumlauf.
Strumlauf says she's not holding her breath about the money she's owed. According to Strumlauf, Dr. Deevers required patients to pay money up front.
She says she plans on getting dental work done this week without any reimbursement.
"Money has to come out of my own pocket because that was all part of the program," explained Strumlauf.
Attorney John Hunt says on the chance that Deevers were ever to get his license back, it would be under some strict conditions. That would include random drug testing.
Deevers has also been in and out of the Henderson Court system on a number of unrelated charges.
The state board expects he will also face discipline through the legal system.
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