An Arizona dentist, Dr. Sergio Gomes De Souza, has consented to a two-year hiatus from practicing, avoiding the threat of a permanent license revocation after a patient's death sparked a sequence of disciplinary actions. As reported by ABC15, the Arizona Board of Dental Examiners said that De Souza's license suspension came as part of a settlement which will require board reapproval for him to resume his dental career.
De Souza, who has been licensed since 2015, faced serious allegations from the dental board for failing "to understand the severity of the patient’s significant heart failure" and for using a risky cocktail of five drugs for sedation. The incident tragically resulted in the patient's death after receiving anesthesia during dental surgery. The board's expressions of concern also extended to him continuing to perform certain procedures, although they had been explicitly prohibited. This was pointedly highlighted when Dr. Russell Morrow, a member of the board, told De Souza, "You’re blatantly putting the Arizona public in jeopardy," according to the same ABC15 report.
Furthermore, De Souza admitted during an October board meeting to conducting around five banned procedures, although he claimed not to recall the exact count. "I am extremely embarrassed," De Souza stated, "I'm extremely ashamed of what I did. I don't have a good excuse for you." The Arizona Board of Dental Examiners had previously banned him from administering anesthesia and from doing teeth extractions and implants after a patient who received anesthesia during dental work died under his care.
In addition to the issue with banned procedures, another alarming incident involved a patient swallowing a dental tool known as a "driver" while under De Souza's treatment. Dr. Lisa Bienstock, vice president of the board, questioned, "Did a drive fall down the patient’s throat?" "Yes," confirmed De Souza, as outlined in the ABC15 investigation. This was not to be the first occurrence, as De Souza had previously faced litigation when a patient swallowed a dental instrument in 2020 and had to undergo surgery for its removal. The case was eventually settled out of court.
With De Souza's agreement to a suspended practice, he avoids a potential five-year ban that could have resulted from a license revocation hearing. His attorney, Jefferson Hayden, told ABC15, "Dr. Souza is very appreciative of all the hard work put into this resolution by the Board members, its staff, and its counsel. He is grateful for the faith they have placed in him in providing this path forward while also bringing closure to this matter for all those involved." The agreement awaits a final verdict as to whether De Souza will be allowed to ever practice dentistry in Arizona again.
