THE Seventh-day Adventist Dental Clinic and Dr. Steven Debulgado were named as defendants in a lawsuit filed in Superior Court by a mother and daughter who are alleging negligence.
The minor child and her mother Daelina Aguon, through attorney Joseph Horey, are asking the court to award them an unspecified amount of damages for pain, suffering and emotional distress.
According to the lawsuit, on Jan. 15, 2020, the child visited the SDA clinic to have silver crowns put on some of her teeth.
The crown application procedure was performed by Dr. Debulgado, the lawsuit stated.
“While the child was getting the silver crown put on, the hot metal applicator machine burned her face, creating a large open lesion at the corner of her mouth,” the lawsuit also stated.
“During the procedure, the child was under anesthesia, and was unaware that her face was being burned by the machine.”
According to the lawsuit, neither Dr. Debulgado nor any of the other employees noticed that the child’s face was being burned by the machine.
When the anesthesia wore off, the child became aware of her injury, and suffered acute pain, suffering and distress, the lawsuit stated.
The child’s wound gradually healed, but continued to cause discomfort and distress to her for several weeks, the lawsuit added.
“As the wound healed, it left a disfiguring facial scar, which remains to this day, and continues to cause distress to the child,” the lawsuit stated.
SDA Dental Clinic declined to comment “at this time.”
