FOR MOST PEOPLE, GOING TO
THE DENTIST IS NOT THEIR
FAVORITE THING TO DO.
BUT NOBODY EXPECTS TO LOSE THEIR
LIFE IN A DENTIST'S CHAIR.
CHANNEL 2 INVESTIGATES HAS
DISCOVERED TEXAS PATIENTS WHO
DIED AFTER ROUTINE PROCEDURES
AND THEIR DENTISTS ARE STILL
PRACTICING.
JACE LARSON REVEALS WHY STATE
REGULATORS HAVE SUCH LITTLE
AUTHORITY TO INSPECT DENTAL
OFFICES AND HE'S SHARING THE
QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE THE
PROCEDURE.
SHE LOVED THE BEARS AND THE
DALLAS COWBOYS.
Reporter: DON AND CAROL
RARELY WORRIED ABOUT THEIR SON
MARK.
MARK WAS HAPPY.
HE WAS -- ENJOYED LIFE.
Reporter: SO A TRIP TO THE
DENTIST DIDN'T CAUSE ANY
CONCERN.
IT WAS JUST GOING TO BE A
ROUTINE ROOT CANAL.
Reporter: BUT THE
DEFENDANTIST DECIDED THAT --
DENTIST DECIDED THAT MARK NEEDED
ANESTHESIA.
IT'S NOT THE CALL YOU I HAVE
EXAMINE OR WANT TO GET.
CAROL SAID MARK WAS AT THE
DENTIST AND STOPPED BREATHING.
Reporter: ACCORDING TO THE
AUTOPSY HE HAD A BLOCKED ARTERY
AND DIED SUDDENLY WHILE UNDER
ANESTHESIAIA.
IT'S HARD TO PREDICT HOW AN
INDIVIDUAL IS GOING TO RESPOND
TO ANESTHESIA ANESTHESIOLOGISTS
SAY THEY NEED EMERGENCY MEDICAL
EQUIPMENT.
YOU NEED IT TO STAY SAFE.
THAT'S CORRECT.
Reporter: THE BOARD FOUND
THAT THE DENTIST IN CHARGE
PUTTING MARK UNDER WAS MISSING
THAT LIFE-SAVING EQUIPMENT.
NEVER HAD A CHANCE.
Reporter: WE DISCOVERED
HONEYCUTT OF SPRING HAS A
HISTORY OF DENTAL BOARD
DISCIPLINE.
SETTLEMENT ORDERS SHOW HE
ILLEGALLY PRESCRIBED AM AMBIEN
YEARS AGO.
IN 2008 HE ENGAGED IN
UNPROFESSIONAL AND DISHONRAN
COBBLE KENTUCKY -- DISHONORABLE
CONDUCT BY PARTICIPATING IN A
VIDEO WITH A SEDATED PATIENT.
THAT PATIENT HAD NO IDEA.
HE ADMITTED TO USING ALCOHOL,
BUT HIS WORST OFFENSE GAME IN
2011 AS MARK LAY STRUGGLING FOR
HIS LIFE IN THE CHAIR.
IT WAS UNFATHOMABLE FROM MY
STANDPOINT.
THEY WEREN'T READY.
Reporter: THE DENTAL BOARD'S
SOLUTION AFTER MARK'S DEATH?
ORDER THE DENTIST TO GET MORE
TRAINING.
HE'S STILL ALLOWED TO
PRACTICE.
YEAH, DR. HONEYCUTT IS STILL
PRACTICING.
Reporter: HE'S ONE OF SIX
DENTISTS TO GET DISCIPLINED
AFTER THE DEATH OF A PATIENT.
AND JUST LIKE HONEY CUTT --
HONEYCUTT, NOT A SINGLE ONE OF
THOSE DENTISTS LOST THEIR
LICENSE.
PEOPLE MIGHT LOOK AT THIS --
THESE ISSUES AND SAY YOU SHOULD
HAVE TAKEN AWAY HIS LICENSE.
THE THING THAT'S
DISTINGUISHABLE IS EACH ACTION
THAT HE HAD WAS DUE TO A
DIFFERENT SEPARATE DISTINCT
VIOLATION OF THE DIFFERENTIAL
PRACTICE ACT.
Reporter: KELLY PARKER TOOK
OVER AFTER HONEYCUTT'S DISPLAIN.
CHANNEL 2 FOUND THERE IS LITTLE
OVERSIGHT TODAY, THOUGH, FOR
DENTISTS WHO PUT PEOPLE UNDER.
IF YOU WANTED TO INSPECT A
DENTIST WHO USES AN I.V. TO PUT
A PATIENT TO SLEEP, CAN YOU DO
THAT?
WE CANNOT.
Reporter: STATE LAW DOES NOT
ALLOW IT.
THE DENTAL CORD BOARD CAN
INSPECT DENTISTS WHO DON'T PULL
YOU PULLEY -- PUT YOU FULLY TO
SLEEP, BUT THEY HAVE NO STATE
FUNDING TO PAY FOR THAT.
I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED THAT
IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC.
Reporter: BECAUSE NO ONE IS
CHECKING FOR LIFE-SAVING
EQUIPMENT, MARK'S PARENTS ARE
NOW LEFT WONDERING, IF THEIR SON
MIGHT HAVE LIVED.
WE MISS HIM EVERY TIME THE
SEASONS CHANGE, AND -- AND
FOOTBALL SEASON, FOR EXAMPLE.
OUR WORLD CHANGED THAT DAY.
FOREVER.
IT'S BAD.
Reporter: WELL, THERE ARE
SOME IMPORTANT QUESTIONS THAT
YOU NEED TO ASK BEFORE YOU GO TO
THE DENTIST.
THE NUMBER ONE QUESTION -- ASK
YOUR DENTIST IF HE OR SHE IS
PREPARED TO HANDLE A SITUATION
IF AN EMERGENCY ARISES.
RIGHT NOW ON CLICK2HOUSTON.COM,
WE'VE PUT A LIST OF QUESTIONS
AND YOU CAN PRINT THAT OUT AND
TAKE IT ALONG WHEN YOU GO TO
YOUR DENTIST BEFORE YOU GO UNDER
AND ASK THOSE QUESTIONS.
I'VE ALSO INCLUDED A LINK
SHOWING YOU HOW YOU CAN
BACKGROUND YOUR OWN DENTIST.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO DO THAT AS
WELL.
JACE, YOU MENTIONED THAT
THERE'S A NEW WAY TO TREAT A
CAVITY WITHOUT GOING COMPLETELY
UNDER, ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN.
Reporter: YEAH, IT'S
SOMETHING NEW TO THE MARKET.
IT'S A FORMULA THAT YOUR DENTIST
CAN PAINT ON YOUR CAVITY.
IT DOES NOT REQUIRE A DRILL.
THAT'S A BIGGIE.
Reporter: ABSOLUTELY.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SEDATED.
SO IF YOU'VE GOT YOUNG KIDS, AND
YOU THINK THEY WON'T SIT, YOU
DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT THAT
TOMORROW AT 5:55 ON CHANNEL 2
NEWS TODAY.
WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU HOW IN A
TREATMENT WORKS -- SHOW YOU HOW
THAT TREATMENT WORKS AND HOW