text: ENFIELD — A dentist was charged with criminally negligent homicide in the death of a woman who stopped breathing while in his care, the town's police chief said Wednesday. 
   
   Rashmi Patel turned himself in Tuesday night after a warrant for his arrest was issued, Chief Carl Sferrazza said. The dentist also was charged with tampering with evidence, he said. 
   
   Patel, 45, who lives in Suffield, posted $25,000 bail and is scheduled to appear at Superior Court in Enfield on Feb. 24. 
   
   Enfield detectives got involved in the case shortly after the death of Judith Gan, 64, of Ellington, at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield on Feb. 17, 2014 — exactly a year before Patel's arrest. 
   
   "We were investigating it all along," Sferrazza said. The warrant for Patel's arrest is sealed, the chief said. 
   
   According to a four-count statement of administrative charges filed against Patel, with Gan in his office that day, the dentist failed to "properly respond to J.G.'s oxygen desaturation and/or respiratory distress and/or cardiopulmonary distress" while performing a full-mouth extraction. Records indicate that Patel intended to do 20 tooth extractions. 
   
   Patel ignored the patient's deteriorating condition and did not respond when changes in her oxygen levels and vital signs were reported to him by the dental assistants, state Department of Public Health inspectors said in the charging statement. One assistant begged Patel to stop the procedure, the report says. 
   
   In response to the criminal charges, Patel's attorney, Paul Knag, released a statement that said, "After several months of deliberation, the state Dental Commission found that Dr. Patel's actions did not warrant the revocation of his license. In the Dental Commission proceeding, multiple expert witnesses testified that Dr. Patel followed the standard of care. The state's seeking of criminal charges is contrary to this evidence and inconsistent with the decision of the Commission not to revoke his license. Dr. Patel disputes the charges and urges that the charges be dropped." 
   
   Rick Kenny, an attorney for Gan's husband, Michael, said: "I think he was very appreciative of the amount of work done by the detective bureau and by chief of police in Enfield." 
   
   Kenny said he finds the charge of tampering with evidence the most alarming matter in the case. "If you've tampered with the evidence, that's a very serious situation," he said. 
   
   He said that his client will cooperate in whatever way necessary. 
   
   Judith Gan had an extensive medical history, including cardiac problems, the records say. During the procedure, the low-oxygen alarm went off repeatedly and the patient was making gurgling sounds before she stopped breathing, the records state. 
   
   "The assistant begged [Patel] to stop working, and finally ran out and called 911, but the patient had already flat-lined," the inspectors reported. 
   
   Patel's license was suspended on April 21. On Dec. 17, the dentist was told that he may never again treat a patient under sedation. He also must submit to five years of random monitoring. 
   
   Knag has said in the past that the dentist's monitoring equipment wasn't working properly. He also said that his client did not violate any standard of care, and that expert witnesses called in Patel's defense during an administrative hearing testified that he was not negligent. 
   
   This isn't the first time that Patel has been the subject of a health department investigation. 
   
   On Dec. 19, 2013, while Patel was extracting another patient's teeth, the patient "aspirated the throat pack,'' DPH inspectors reported. In that case, Patel failed to properly monitor the patient's response to conscious sedation, and failed to remove the throat pack in a timely way, the DPH records state. That patient began to choke, and was transported to Bay State Medical Center with "grossly diminished breath sounds" and a "compromised airway." That patient survived, a DPH spokesman said. 
   
   The other counts in the charging statement in Gan's case allege that on various occasions, Patel "improperly delegated" to a dental assistant or hygienist the induction of nitrous oxide or Midazolam to a patient, as well as the monitoring of a patient's response to conscious sedation. 
   
   Inspectors also found at least five expired medications in his office, the state said. 
   
   On Sept. 16, 2011, a Superior Court jury in Litchfield ruled in favor of another Patel patient who had sued him for malpractice after he severely damaged her mouth and teeth in a reconstructive procedure, according to the lawsuit. The jury awarded Doreen Jasonis $442,000. After the verdict, Patel's lawyers filed an appeal, and both sides settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. ||||| Please enable Javascript to watch this video 
   
   ENFIELD - A former Enfield dentist is now facing criminal charges following the death of a patient one year ago. Dr. Rashmi Patel was arrested Tuesday, Feb. 17, after turning himself into police. 
   
   He's charged with criminally negligent homicide and tampering with evidence. 
   
   In December, the state Dental Commission suspended his license pending a comprehensive review of his practice after finding he didn't properly care for two patients, including Judith Gan, 64, who died in February of 2014. The Dental Commission did not ultimately revoke his license. 
   
   Here is a statement his lawyer released on his behalf: 
   
   After several months of deliberation, the state Dental Commission found that Dr. Patel’s actions did not warrant the revocation of his license. In the Dental Commission proceeding, multiple expert witnesses testified that Dr. Patel followed the standard of care. The state’s seeking of criminal charges is contrary to this evidence and inconsistent with the decision of the Commission not to revoke his license. Dr. Patel disputes the charges and urges that the charges be dropped. 
   
   Meanwhile, Gan's attorney, Richard Kenny, said the family is still taking in the arrest, which came exactly one year after Gan's death. "He's doing okay. It's tough, very tough," said Kenny of Gan's husband. "It was an emotional time to begin with." 
   
   Kenny added that the Gan family is "not vindictive" and would like to see the criminal charges "thoroughly evaluated." 
   
   Police launched a criminal investigation into Patel shortly after Gan died. 
   
   "We were waiting for the medical examiner to come out with a manner of death and that took a little longer than usual," said Chief Carl Sferrazza of Enfield Police. "When it finally came out, the detectives resumed their investigation." 
   
   Patel's arrest warrant was approved not long after, though Sferrazza couldn't get into the details of how the autopsy relates to criminal charges. 
   
   Kenny talked about how the findings could help a possible civil lawsuit against Patel: 
   
   She had a number of conditions when she went in to see him and that's of course an issue into whether she should have been sedated in the first place, but what I was pleased to see is that Dr. Sexton [the medical expert who did the autopsy] in doing it, ruled out a lot of potential problems as causes of her death. Her preexisting things did not, did not suddenly occur and cause her to die. 
   
   State officials say Patel violated care standards when treating 64-year-old Judith Gan of Ellington, who died after being placed under conscious sedation to have 20 teeth extracted at his Enfield office. Officials said Patel failed to respond appropriately when Gan’s oxygen levels dropped and should not have planned so many procedures on her in one office visit. 
   
   The state Dental Commission permanently banned Patel from performing conscious sedation and placed him on five years of probation. 
   
   Kenny wonders if the tampering with evidence charge will entice the Commission to reopen its investigation and possibly revoke Patel's license for good. 
   
   Patel is due in court to answer to his new criminal charges on Feb. 24 at 9 a.m. ||||| HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A dentist has been charged in the death of a patient who became unresponsive while having 20 teeth pulled and several implants installed. 
   
   This photo provided by the Enfield, Connecticut Police Department shows dentist Rashmi Patel, who has been charged in the death of a patient who became unresponsive while having 20 teeth pulled and several... (Associated Press) 
   
   Rashmi Patel turned himself in Tuesday at the Enfield Police Department and was charged with a misdemeanor count of criminally negligent homicide and a felony count of tampering with evidence, police said. Patel has offices in Enfield and Torrington. 
   
   The charges came a year after Patel's patient Judith Gan died at a hospital on Feb. 17, 2014. State dental regulators concluded that Patel failed to adequately respond when Gan's oxygen levels dropped dangerously low as she was consciously sedated in the middle of the tooth extraction and implant procedures in his Enfield office that day. 
   
   Patel, who posted $25,000 bail, has denied any wrongdoing in his treatment of Gan. 
   
   "Dr. Patel disputes the charges and urges that the charges be dropped," his attorney Paul Knag said in a statement Wednesday. 
   
   Gan's death and other incidents prompted the State Dental Commission in December to suspend Patel's license pending a months-long review of his practice and permanently ban him from performing conscious sedation. 
   
   But, Krag said, the commission did not revoke Patel's license. 
   
   "In the Dental Commission proceeding, multiple expert witnesses testified that Dr. Patel followed the standard of care," Krag said. "The state's seeking of criminal charges is contrary to this evidence and inconsistent with the decision of the Commission not to revoke his license." 
   
   The commission said in a report that Patel "ignored" signs that Gan, of Ellington, was in distress, including the drop in her oxygen saturation, changes in the color of her face and hands and wheezing and gurgling sounds. The commission said Patel, who lives in Suffield, also ignored warnings from his dental assistants that Gan was in danger and continued with the procedures. 
   
   When one of Patel's assistants yelled that Gan was "flat lining," Patel tried to revive Gan while the assistant called 911, according to the Dental Commission's report. Gan, 64, was rushed to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. 
   
   The commission also found that Patel should not have attempted to perform so many procedures on Gan in one office visit given that her medical history included a heart attack six months before the visit, two strokes within the last two years and medication that could have affected her response to the sedation. 
   
   Patel also violated care standards in December 2013 when another patient under conscious sedation to have teeth extracted inhaled a piece of gauze called a throat pack, which was designed to protect him from swallowing foreign objects, the commission found. The patient began flailing, his blood pressure spiked and he was rushed to a hospital but recovered. 
   
   A lawyer for Gan's husband has said a lawsuit against Patel is planned. ||||| A dentist is accused of letting his patient die while extracting 20 teeth and inserting several implants. The patient showed signs of distress as she was under anesthesia for the dental procedures. 
   
   The suspect, Rashmi Patel, a 45-year-old dentist, turned himself in on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at the Enfield Police Department. He is now facing charges of criminally negligent homicide and tampering with evidence. 
   
   One year ago, a 64-year-old patient of his, Judith Gan, was declared dead at the hospital. It was Feb. 17 2014. According to dental state regulators, Dr. Patel failed to take action when his patient’s oxygen levels dropped, hitting a dangerous level. She was consciously sedated and was undergoing several tooth extractions in order to be replaced by implants the same day. 
   
   This event, along with other incidents convinced the State Dental Commission in December that it was necessary to suspend his license. This decision was taken after a careful, month-long analysis of his practice. 
   
   Dr. Patel, who posted $25,000 bail said at first that he did nothing wrong during the treatment. 
   
   According to the commission who filed a report, Patel “ignored” the fact that his patient was showing signs of distress (the low oxygen level, her face and hands changing color, the wheezing and gurgling sounds she was making). 
   
   The report also stated that the dentist ignored the situation and continued with the procedure even when his assistants prompted him that the patient was in a bad state. It was only when one of the help shouted that the woman was “flat lining” that he reacted. Hospital 
   
   The assistant called 911 and the patient was quickly taken to the hospital where she was declared dead. 
   
   The Dental Commission concluded that Patel’s error lied in the number of procedures he planned on doing in one session. Another mistake he made was ignoring the patient’s medical history. Gan suffered from a heart attack six months prior to the appointment and two strokes within the last two years. She was also under medication that could have influenced the way she handled sedation. 
   
   The attorney representing Gan’s husband said that there will be a lawsuit against the dentist. Neither Patel nor his lawyer could be reached for comments. 
   
   Image Source: CBS 46
target: – A woman who went to the dentist for a tooth extraction ended up dying after flat-lining in his chair, and now the Connecticut dentist has been charged with criminally negligent homicide in her death. Judith Gan, 64, went into Rashmi Patel's office on Feb. 17 of last year for a full-mouth extraction, during which 20 teeth would be removed and implants would be inserted. But during the procedure, Patel allegedly ignored the sedated woman's worsening condition—even though the low-oxygen alarm went off multiple times, Gan started gurgling, wheezing, and changing color, and one of Patel's assistants "begged" him to stop working on her, inspectors say. The assistant finally called 911, but by then Gan had stopped breathing and "flat-lined," according to a health inspectors' report. She was declared dead at a hospital; Patel has also been charged with evidence tampering. Gan had health problems, including a heart attack six months prior to her death and two strokes in the two years prior, the Monitor Daily reports; she was also on medication that could have interfered with sedation. "That's of course an issue into whether she should have been sedated in the first place," the Gan family lawyer says, per Fox Connecticut. But, he adds, the medical examiner who performed the autopsy "ruled out a lot of potential problems as causes of her death. Her pre-existing things did not ... suddenly occur and cause her to die." Officials also say Patel, 45, should not have planned so many procedures at once. The Dental Commission declined to revoke his license, but it did put him on five years of probation and banned him from performing sedation, the Hartford Courant reports. He has previously been accused of failing to monitor a sedated patient who choked on gauze but survived, the AP reports, as well as other problems. (A trip to the dentist may have saved this girl's life.)