ORLANDO, Fla.,None — An Orange County father claims a local dentist tried to run up the bill on a Medicaid patient. He says the doctor was going to drill healthy teeth without even examining his son.
"There's no other way to put it. I was horrified." He had just left the dentist with his three year old son. He says Dr. Alexander Nurell was a pediatric dentist who accepted medicaid. Another dentist had already found his son had two cavities, but could not treat him. But at Dr. Nurell's office it was a far different diagnosis. "He looked at my wife and I and said he needed 8 fillings, and possibly 6 crowns." That sounded bad but it was the dental exam that floored them. They say there were no xrays. (Todd Ulrich) " Did he ever examine the inside of his mouth and see his teeth?" (father) "No." (Todd Ulrich) "What was he doing?" (father) "Trying to get as much money as he can."
Action 9 contacted Dr. Brian Coleman, a former Dental Society of Orlando president who examined the boy and took xrays. Dr. Coleman says there are only two cavities and what about Dr. Nurell's 8 filling, 6 crown diagnosis. "That would be excessive, that's way too much, that's way over the top."
I talked to Dr. Nurell outside his Fern Park office. (Todd Ulrich) "Did that child really need that kind of treatment?" (Dr. Nurell) "Of course. " Dr. Nurell said sometimes he fills teeth, that could develop cavities later, since the child is under anesthesia.
(Todd Ulrich) "These parents feel you were taking advantage of them and taxpayers." (Dr. Nurell) "I don't have any interest in doing any of that."
Six years ago another parent took his complaint to the state health department claiming Dr. Nurell overtreated his child. State regulators found he failed to get the parents consent for all the treatment. In a settlement agreement Dr. Nurell paid a 7 thousand dollar fine and had to take additional courses. Then his license was temporarily suspended for failing a course.
Dr. Nurell said he did not run up bills then or now. "I'm up to my neck in treatment....why should I be doing more because I want more money?"
The parents of the three year old are filing a complaint with the Department of Health. The couple who filed earlier settled a malpractice case a against Dr. Nurell for twenty five thousand dollars.
WFTV
