PICTURE the scenario. You’re trapped in a dentist’s chair with various bits and bobs stuck in your gob and quite unable to clearly articulate your fury when your lunatic dental practitioner begins preaching at you.
Australian dentist Paul Gardner’s behaviour certainly left one of his patients spitting mad – and he is now in hot water with the Dental Board of Australia.
And just for fun, a dragon in the dentist's chair (illustration by Jus2Prom)
According to this report, in December 2008 the Geelong dentist took his patient’s “facial expression and body language” to mean she questioned the Bible and, upon seeing a dragon inked on her skin, insisted that tattoos served to de-sensitise people against scriptural prophecies.
Not surprisingly, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal found Gardner’s conduct was of “a lesser standard” than what was expected.
Lawyer Patrick Monahan, acting for the dental board, said Dr Gardner has failed to comprehend the seriousness of his actions and was:
Likely to repeat his behaviour as he ever was.
Monahan also rejected the argument the Geelong dentist was merely having a conversation about religion. In his submission to have Gardner suspended or disqualified for up to 18 months, he said:
He wasn’t just talking, he was trying to change her view. He was trying to persuade her that he was right and she was wrong.
The tribunal heard the dentist had also offered the patient an “alarming and intense” DVD, which the tribunal heard was offensive to Muslims and Catholics.
In Gardner’s defence, Jeff Gleeson acknowledged unprofessional conduct but said a ban would end the dentist’s career.
Gleeson also referred to the 2,900 current patients his client had amassed during his 26-year career, labelling the incident as a “bump along the path”.
Gleeson also said the patient’s account of the dentist’s “anti-semitic diatribe” during the consultation could have been “a misunderstanding”.
Six months before the incident, Gardner was fined $10,000 after he told a schizophrenic patient that she was possessed by the devil and could be cured through his church’s spiritual healing.
The practising Christian claims that disciplinary action against him was part of a Masonic or Catholic plot that infringed his human rights. He has sent the dental board “threatening” letters demanding $175,000 in compensation.
Hat tip: Bill Murray
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
June 15th, 2011 at 2:17 pm
This DVD that’s offensive to both muslims and catholics…give us a clue FFS.
June 15th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
“Now let me ask you again. Do you believe in God or not?”
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-i.....ra-004.jpg
June 15th, 2011 at 2:26 pm
Thats nothing. I have to listen to Jeremy Vine when i am at the dentist!
June 15th, 2011 at 3:01 pm
OO Gill I feel for you- he is awful! The bit that irks me as a mental health professional is him telling the schizophrenic they could be cured by his fucking church! What an absolute idiot.
June 15th, 2011 at 3:10 pm
Remigius, I am thinking the DVD might be Mustapha Wanq’s classic “Mecca me Come: Mohammed Joins the Jesus and Mary Daisy Chain”
June 15th, 2011 at 3:23 pm
This has got me worried. I have an appointment with my dentist on Friday. I hope I do not return converted. There are some reasons for optimism: (a) I have no tatoos; (b) in 15 years she has never mentioned religion; (3) the only music in her surgery that I have ever heard is Classic FM.
June 15th, 2011 at 5:16 pm
Barry. And there was me thinking it was a Rick Moranis double bill. Honey I Blew Up The Kid / Honey I Shagged The Kids.
June 15th, 2011 at 5:30 pm
No question that it’s a sad story, we should all say “ahhhhhh”. I’m presuming Christianity was drilled into him as a child, but of course that’s no excuse. If only he could take the example of His Lord Jesus Christ and sacrifice his own interests for the (in this case dental) benefit of all mankind. I hear other Australian dentists have taken to calling him “Pontius Palate” these days. It makes you want to spit.
Speaking for myself, if it was a choice between taking a local anaesthetic or five minutes of conversation that would completely put me under, I’d prefer to sleep through the pain…
June 15th, 2011 at 5:42 pm
@gill kerry
There is a blog for those who dislike the Jerremy Vine show here:
http://lunchtimeloather.blogspot.com/
Having heard the trailer on Ken Bruce’s show, I have to say that JV scaled new heights of utter pointlessness today.
June 15th, 2011 at 7:29 pm
The Woggler: I loved that Laurence Olivier/Dustin Hoffman pic and the comment. Many years ago a friend of mine was having a vasectomy done privately. As the surgeon bent over him, scalpel in hand, he said, “I don’t think we got round to discussing my fee.”
“Whatever you say is OK with me,” my friend replied. He swears this is true.
June 15th, 2011 at 10:52 pm
This is deeper than just “is it appropriate to push religion on a patient.” A medical professional who believes in dragons and prophecy exhibits a tenuous grasp on reality and the concept of evidence.
(I would deliver this comment in the form of amusing wordplay but I’m just not punny.)
Somewhat related reading:
Here’s a tl;dr of another dentist using his practice to benefit his faith (in a much more aggressive, direct way).
http://www.tampabay.com/news/s.....ls/1135436
June 16th, 2011 at 8:53 am
@Anonymous: They signed up to a “treatment plan” costing over $17,000. I never realised until I read this what a great bargain I have in my Denplan. The good old USA sure know how to extract the dollars from medical/dental patients while their wealthy insurance industry preaches about the terrible vices of socialised medecine i.e. the NHS.
June 17th, 2011 at 12:18 pm
Oh, come on, Anonymous: “Pontius Palate”? That’s genius.
I’ve been told.
Incidentally, my captcha code just now would prove very familiar to Star Wars fans.
June 17th, 2011 at 4:16 pm
Thanks stoneyground, the blog is hilarious. Loved the bit about the allotment man. Reminds me of archie andrews. A vent act on the radio! Only in the UK
June 18th, 2011 at 3:01 pm
As a dentist he is, by definition, an educated man. Education may help overcome ignorance but, unfortunately, it does little to overcome crazy.
June 23rd, 2011 at 8:05 am
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