The Kentucky Board of Dentistry investigated this claim fully. Their Peer Review Committee determined that Dr. VanZant did not violate the standard of care nor was any reprimand issued. This patient said she heard a "pop" in her jaw almost four weeks after the extraction. Approximately six weeks after the extraction, an oral surgeon diagnosed her with an infection in her mandible called acute osteomyelitis. Acute osteomyelitis is NOT caused by operator-induced pathogens. Acute osteomyelitis is caused by pathogens ALREADY present in the patient's mouth at the time of the extraction and unfortunately in this case led to a jaw fracture many weeks after the extraction. An x-ray of the extraction site and mandible three weeks after the extraction CLEARLY showed no jaw fracture at that time. The patient was referred numerous times to appropriate specialists in a timely manner after the extraction and failed to follow up with them. The lawsuit was absolutely frivolous.

Submitted Dec. 15, 2011

The timing of Vanzant closing his practice may be coincindental but it came soon after the filing of my lawsuit against him in April '07. He had extracted a wisdom tooth and I continued to have pain and discomfort and went back to him 3 times complaining. After going to my family doctor, the ER and losing 15 pounds, seven weeks later I finally got in to see an oral surgeon who immediately took an x-ray which showed a broken jaw. Then I had to have surgery to clean out all of the infection, have a titanium plate w/ 4 screws to hold the broken jaw together and have my jaw wired shut for 6 weeks. (now I have an ugly scar and nerve damage) To make a long story short I filed a lawsuit, Vanzant had no malpractice insurance and he filed my lawsuit under his bankruptcy. Come to find out Kentucky doesnt require dentists to have malpractice insurance. Is that justice or what? I found some disturbing news about Vanzant on a Google search which came up with an article from the Bd of Dentistry

Submitted June 7, 2008

When you could catch him in the office he was great, but it was hard to get appointments and even then he canceled sometimes. then he up and left one day and closed his practice...whats up with that?

Submitted April 7, 2008