COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A Franklin County dentist, who twice has been suspended by the Ohio State Dental Board for alleged substance abuse, is under investigation after a patient died in February.
According to an incident summary, Grove City police responded to a 911 call on Feb. 13 at Grove City Dental on Gantz Road. Officers arrived before Jackson Township medics and found Michael Beesler unresponsive while Dr. Scott Schumann was administering CPR.
Beesler, 61, was hooked up to a defibrillator, and police assisted in life-saving measures until medics arrived, after which the victim was taken to Mount Carmel Grove City hospital for treatment. He died three days later.
Detectives interviewed Schumann and three dental assistants. Beesler was sedated for multiple fillings, extractions, a root canal, deep cleaning and upper dentures.
One witness said Beesler was given two ibuprofen and two Tylenol before he was administered nitrous. A hygienist, according to the witness, also gave Beesler a total of four Halcion pills, as well as eight total numbing agents, four each of Marcaine and Septocain.
The witness also said that when Beesler’s oxygen levels began to drop, Schumann said the patent was fine and “shrugged off” a second warning from the assistant.
Another witness stated that Beesler’s oxygen levels began dropping at about 10 a.m., returned to normal and then dropped again at about 11:45 a.m.
Schumann said the patient had a pulse, was breathing and warm to the touch, but shortly after, two milliliters of a drug used to bring back patients under sedation was administered.
“We remain shocked and saddened by this matter,” Schumann said in a statement released to NBC4. “Federal laws prevent us from discussing the details of this matter and so I am not able to comment further at this time. We are cooperating fully with authorities and agencies. We remain committed to providing our patients with the quality and personalized dental care they’ve come to expect from us. That is why we follow strict safety regulations and protocols for everyone in our care.”
No charges have been filed as of Wednesday in relation to Beesler’s death.
According to documents from the Ohio State Dental Board, Schumann was twice suspended for “inability to practice under accepted standards of the profession because of physical or mental disability, dependence on alcohol or other drugs, or excessive use of alcohol or other drugs.”
His license was reinstated in 2002 after a six-month suspension and for three months in 2015. Both reprimands came with five-year probation periods.
A Grove City Dental spokesperson said Schumann served two brief suspensions lasting between three and five months each in both 2002 and 2015 to fight substance abuse issues.
“He has been in active recovery for a decade against a disease that affects more than 48 million Americans. We are proud of his dedication to his patients and his health,” the spokesperson’s statement reads.
Grove City Dental’s website said Schumann, whose license remains active, according to eLicense Ohio Professional Licensure, is a “Grove City celebrity dentist and best-selling author for leading dental care and treatment.”