Dentist suspended: Unlicensed employees did dental work

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This article was published 28/06/2018 (2836 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg dentist has been suspended for letting two of his employees practise dentistry without a licence.

Dr. Steven Lawson, a member of the Manitoba Dental Association and the owner of TMJ and Dental Sleep Therapy Centre of Manitoba, at 3025 Portage Ave., has been suspended for 4 1/2 months after pleading guilty to five counts of allowing unlicensed office staff to perform dentistry.

As well, Lawson, in a joint sentencing agreement, will let the dental association perform audits of his practice during the next two years, shoulder a portion of the costs of the investigation and legal costs, and take continuing education courses in record keeping, jurisprudence and ethics.

Lawson could not be reached for comment. The voice mail for his dental practice simply says he will be away from the office until Aug. 25.

John Meyers, Lawson’s lawyer, called the matter “unfortunate.”

“He made some errors in judgment and he regrets that,” Meyers said on Thursday.

“Nobody was harmed, and he regrets the inconvenience to his patients.”

Meyers said the dentist has tried to make other accommodations for his patients, but because he runs a specialized practice for people who have sleep apnea, many will have to wait until he can return after the suspension ends.

The dental association launched an investigation in March 2016, after receiving a tip that two of Lawson’s employees were doing dental work.

The association found that Iam Lotuaco and Sheila Illamil Lotuaco were working in the office as dentists, even though they were not licensed to practise in Canada. It’s not known what relationship the two are to each other.

The pair came from the Philippines, and an April 2016 Free Press story reported on a Linkedin page which listed Iam Lotuaco as having worked as a dentist there for 13 years.

At the time, the pair agreed not to perform any more dentistry.

Dr. Cory Sul, president of the dental association, said one of the employees began working at Lawson’s practice in June 2015, while the second one started in September 2015.

Sul said Lawson was charged after he “knowingly allowed unlicensed office personnel to practise dentistry” in March 2016.

“Our legislated role is for the protection of the public interest and we take this very seriously,” Sul said.

Sul said suspensions of dentists are rare.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca