By Rachel Chan
A patient at the National Dental Centre (NDC) had two teeth pulled out by mistake after a referral slip for extraction was attached to the wrong patient call-number chit.
The attending staff that day also failed to verify the patient's identity and the treatment needed.
The incident, which happened in May 2007, led to the removal of the patient's upper-left first premolar and the lower-left second premolar, said the Singapore Dental Council (SDC) yesterday.
The NDC said in a statement that the mistake was discovered and made known to the patient within an hour of its occurrence. The patient received and apology immediately and was given consultations with an endodontist, an orthodontist and an oral surgeon.
Attempts to re-implant the extracted teeth were "unfortunately not successful" and a new treatment plan was presented to the patient, said the NDC.
The patient completed corrective orthodontic treatment as of January this year, with costs borne fully by the NDC.
Throughout the recovery process, NDC staff were in contact with him to offer updates and redress for the mistake. An NDC spokesman said that "an unfortunate error happened" and it takes "full responsibility" for it.
The spokesman added: "We deeply regret the distress is caused the patient and his family."