Dentist Claims ‘Somebody Slipped Something’ Into His Coffee Amid Accusations of Performing Prison Root Canal While Drunk

An Iowa dentist has his license suspended following accusations of performing a root canal on a state prisoner while under the influence of alcohol. (Photo: Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels)

Amid allegations surrounding a root canal performed on a state prisoner while purportedly under the influence of alcohol, 58-year-old dentist Paymun Bayati, based in Waterloo, has had his license suspended by Iowa state regulators, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported Thursday.

The Iowa Dental Board accused Bayati of conducting dentistry in a way that harms the public and violates Iowa’s dental practice regulations. Prompted by concerns over an “imminent threat” to public welfare, the board issued an emergency suspension of Bayati’s license. Specific details regarding the conduct leading to these charges remain undisclosed, following a 2022 Iowa Supreme Court ruling, according to the report.

On December 7, 2023, an Anamosa police officer responded to reports of an impaired person attempting to drive away from Anamosa State Penitentiary, as detailed by the Iowa Capital Dispatch. Nurses had reportedly notified the warden of Bayati’s apparent intoxication after a root canal. Bayati, informed that his work at the prison was done, allegedly attempted to drive away but was said to have been stopped by the warden and deputy warden.

The police officer, claiming to have observed Bayati with slurred speech and a noticeable alcohol scent, conducted a vehicle search in the parking lot. An empty flask with an alcoholic odor was reportedly found.

“He let me search his vehicle in the parking lot, where I located an empty flask that smelled of an alcoholic beverage,” the officer stated in the report.

Bayati then allegedly underwent a test, revealing a blood-alcohol level of 0.158, almost double the legal limit to drive, per the Iowa Capital Dispatch.

Accused of misdemeanor public intoxication, Bayati asserted that he did not consume alcohol. Instead, he contended that someone, either an unknown person or a dental assistant, had tampered with his coffee by adding isopropyl alcohol.

“I feel that somebody slipped something into my drink,” he said, per the news outlet.

The Iowa Capital Dispatch added that Bayati described the level of alcohol in his system as “equal to 11 shots of alcohol being consumed in the hour before his planned departure.”

“Eleven shots, which means that with one hand I was treating a patient’s tooth and with the other hand I was slamming down shots,” Bayati continued.

Responding to the allegations, Bayati denied attempting to leave the prison, stating the flask in his car was inadvertently left camping gear, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch. A criminal trial set for Feb. 21 approaches, and a rescheduled board hearing on disciplinary charges is pending. Per the report, Bayati asserted that the board’s charges directly correlate with his arrest.

State records mentioned in the report show Bayati obtained an Iowa dental license in August 1999. In 2022, the board accused him of lacking competency in dental implant procedures, linked to his Sioux City practice but allegedly tied to his time in Waterloo.

The board’s decision, influenced by a patient’s complaint, concerned Bayati’s placement of four implants. A consultant’s review allegedly concluded he fell below the minimum standard of care for the procedure. As detailed by the Iowa Capital Dispatch, the board issued an order prohibiting Bayati from performing such procedures on patients.

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