Dentist fined for sexual relationship with patient

A retired dentist has been reprimanded and ordered to pay $30,000 by the profession’s provincial regulator after admitting he took advantage of a patient with whom he had an “inappropriate sexual relationship.”

The inquiry panel of the Manitoba Dental Association’s peer review committee held a hearing in April into charges against Dr. Gary Levine, per a summary of the panel’s decision included in a recent bulletin from the association.

Levine, a former member of the association who retired from dentistry in 2024, pleaded guilty to professional misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a member.

He pursued and engaged in a sexual relationship with a patient, a “financially vulnerable” single mother, and took advantage of her personal situation to further the relationship by waiving fees for dental services he provided her and her family, the panel found.

“His conduct constituted sexual harassment of the patient,” said the summary of the allegations.

The regulatory association received a complaint from Levine’s former patient, alleging he had been involved in an “inappropriate sexual relationship with her,” said the summary.

She met Levine in 2005 when she took her son to him for a dental correction.

After learning she was a single mother, Levine proposed a payment plan that would see her and her two sons get braces, the summary said.

She became a regular patient of Levine’s for five years and received some additional dental work from him in subsequent years, said the decision.

“Shortly after the patient’s first appointment, Dr. Levine began engaging in flirtatious behaviour with the patient, which progressed to sexual encounters and intercourse between Dr. Levine and the patient, both at Dr. Levine’s home and at his clinic,” said the summary.

“After their sexual relationship started, Dr. Levine stopped charging the patient fees for dental services.”

The panel found that Levine violated boundaries with the “financially vulnerable” patient for an extended period of time.

“Carrying on a sexual relationship at the clinic and the subsequent waiver of fees was deemed entirely unacceptable,” said the summary.

The panel noted Levine, who had no prior disciplinary history, co-operated with the regulatory process and admitted his guilt.

He was given a reprimand and ordered to pay costs of $30,000. He is not eligible to seek to be a registered dentist in Manitoba for six months following the April decision.

If Levine seeks to register as a dentist later, he must have a chaperone present for any interaction with a female patient and pay for and complete an educational course on professional boundaries.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca