Youngstown couple sue Liberty dentist

YOUNGSTOWN

A patient has sued a dentist he says negligently caused part of an anesthetic injection needle to become permanently and painfully lodged in his lower jaw.

The patient, Raymond West, and his wife, Betty, of Gypsy Lane, sued Dr. William R. Steines, of Liberty, Wednesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

The needle broke Aug. 20, 2012, while Dr. Steines, a periodontist, was injecting an anesthetic into West’s jaw in preparation for a tooth extraction; and a Sept. 19, 2012, surgical attempt to remove the needle fragment was unsuccessful, the lawsuit said.

West has incurred more than $20,000 in dental, surgical and hospital bills because of this mishap, according to the lawsuit, which demands a jury trial. Dr. Steines could not be reached to comment.