Czech court rules against dentist who extracted 18 healthy teeth

An Ostrava court has ruled that a dental clinic provided improper treatment to a patient who alleges that his dentist unnecessarily removed 18 healthy teeth, leaving him with lasting injuries.

The Ostrava District Court on Monday ordered Lubomír Beran’s clinic to repay patient Petr Večeřa CZK 650,000 plus interest—the amount he paid for treatment.

Judge Veronika Targa also found grounds for further compensation, but the amount will be determined at a later hearing. The ruling is not final, and Beran said he would appeal.

Večeřa sought approximately CZK 3.8 million in the civil case, saying the treatment caused serious complications, including damage to his jaw and trigeminal nerve.

“The condition of the teeth was incorrectly assessed,” Targa said. She found that the proposed treatment involving their removal was inappropriate and that the clinic had not provided care properly.

The court issued a partial and interim judgment, resolving the repayment claim and establishing the basis for additional damages without yet setting their value.

Targa said the interim ruling also gave the parties an opportunity to reach a settlement.

“The injured party is of working age and will probably deal with the consequences for the rest of his life,” she said.

Večeřa’s lawyer argued that the dentist had not adequately justified the radical removal of his client’s teeth. Most could have been treated, he said, and individual teeth had not been properly assessed.

Večeřa told journalists he was satisfied with the decision. He previously received CZK 200,000 from the Interior Ministry, which he said he used for further treatment. The ministry joined the lawsuit.

Beran rejected the court’s conclusions and maintained that the patient’s teeth had been badly damaged before treatment.

He said the treatment had been discussed and agreed with Večeřa and his parents, but ended prematurely when the patient stopped attending appointments.

His lawyer argued that the patient’s original dental condition and insufficient cooperation were responsible for the problems. The defense asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit.

Beran said missed checkups and adjustments allowed the denture to loosen, contributing to inflammation. He denied removing teeth without justification.

A separate criminal case is scheduled to come before the court in December. Prosecutors have brought charges concerning damage to another person’s rights and serious bodily harm.

Monday’s ruling concerned civil liability and compensation; it was not a criminal conviction. The criminal allegations will be considered separately, while the civil court must still determine the amount of any additional compensation.