Dentist charged in death of patient getting 20 teeth pulled

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A dentist has been charged in the death of a patient who became unresponsive while having 20 teeth pulled and several implants installed last year.

Rashmi Patel, 45, of Suffield, surrendered Tuesday at the Enfield Police Department and was charged with a misdemeanor count of criminally negligent homicide and a felony count of tampering with evidence, police said. Patel has offices in Enfield and Torrington.

The charges came exactly a year after Patel's patient, 64-year-old Judith Gan of Ellington, died at a hospital Feb. 17, 2014. State dental regulators concluded that Patel failed to adequately respond when Gan's oxygen levels dropped dangerously low when she was consciously sedated in the middle of the tooth extraction and implant procedures in Patel's Enfield office the same day.

Patel, who posted $25,000 bail, has denied any wrongdoing in his treatment of Gan. He and his attorney didn't return messages today.