The Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners has suspended the dental license of Dr. Robert Janisse following a complaint regarding a November 2023 oral surgery. The suspension, which occurred during an October 25 board meeting, comes just months before Janisse’s license, issued in 2012, was set to expire on February 28, 2024.
The complaint centers around a procedure on November 7, 2023, during which Dr. Janisse attempted to remove a dental implant from a sedated patient. According to the board’s findings, Janisse initially struggled to extract the implant using surgical forceps. Instead of using properly sterilized tools, he left the operating room and returned with non-sterile channel lock pliers from another room. The tools, described by the patient as “rusty,” raised serious concerns about infection risk, particularly given the patient’s compromised immune system, which could have made him more susceptible to infection.
The patient, who was under intravenous sedation, reportedly observed Janisse pulling out the non-sterile pliers and making a “shush” gesture to his assistant. The board’s review highlighted that the patient’s medical condition — which included a history of high blood pressure — was not adequately considered in Janisse’s surgical approach. Additionally, the board found that Janisse administered an excessive dosage of sedation, further endangering the patient’s health.
The surgery was deemed problematic beyond the use of non-sterile instruments. The board noted that Janisse unnecessarily removed a number of the patient’s mostly restorable lower teeth to replace them with implants, raising concerns about the appropriateness of the procedure. Furthermore, the board emphasized that Janisse’s actions during the surgery showed a disregard for the patient’s overall health risks, including elevated blood pressure.
Dr. Janisse, who graduated from Northwestern University School of Dentistry in 1992, operates Flagstaff Laser Dentistry. His practice’s website promotes a focus on providing high-quality care in a “comfortable, relaxed and friendly environment,” with an emphasis on staying current with advanced technology.
In response to the suspension, Janisse’s lawyer confirmed the suspension but stated that they intend to pursue efforts to have the license reinstated. “I cannot speak about ongoing matters beyond saying that we intend to try and get his license reinstated,” the lawyer wrote in an email to The Arizona Republic.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of proper sterilization protocols and the need for dental professionals to carefully evaluate patient health risks during procedures.
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