Dentist removed teeth of grumbling patient

A dentist who pulled out an elderly woman’s teeth without anaesthetic “to teach her a lesson” has been struck off.

David Quelch left the retired nurse, who was 87, with blood pouring from her mouth from two extractions after she had complained to her doctor about the quality of previous treatment by the dentist.

After a three-day hearing the General Dental Council found Mr Quelch, 54, guilty of serious professional misconduct and ordered his name to be removed from the register.

The woman, referred to as Patient A, gave her evidence via a video link. She said: "Mr Quelch told me to sit in the chair and raised my feet above my head. I told him I had pain and he told me he was going to extract my teeth. I objected. I didn’t think it was necessary. He ignored my remarks and pulled out the tooth. I was bleeding profusely."

She said that she asked to spit blood into a bowl at the side of the dental chair but Mr Quelch had refused and said: “No, don’t spit in the bowl, you might have Aids.”