A lawsuit accuses a Spring dental clinic of malpractice after a Houston man died last year after being treated for a tooth extraction.
Donzell Jarrod Conrad, 33, was seeking treatment Oct. 8, 2024, for a chipped molar at Castle Dental at 2129 FM 2920 Road. Conrad was referred to oral surgeon Pasha Sanders, who is named in a lawsuit filed in Harris County by The Ammons Law Firm on behalf of Conrad’s family.
Both Castle Dental and affiliate Smile Brands, owned by private equity firm Gryphon Investors, are accused of negligence in the suit. The lawsuit also accuses Castle Dental and Smile Brands of putting profit over patient care.
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The lawsuit claims Sanders did not have, and should have had, a dedicated anesthesiologist present while administering sedatives to extract the tooth, and should have exercised more caution given Conrad’s medical history, which included diabetes, hypertension, obesity and indicators of possible sleep apnea.
“Our lawsuit alleges that Castle Dental, Smile Brands and its oral surgeon performed deep sedation procedures on a medically high-risk patient in a dental office that was not equipped for it and without a dedicated anesthesia professional present,” Ammons said during a news conference last week. “This case is not complicated. This is about sedation safety 101.”
Shortly after the surgery, Conrad went into a medical crisis before an emergency crew took him from the clinic to a nearby hospital, where he remained for four weeks before he died, the lawsuit states.
Sanders, Castle Dental and Smile Brands did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Sanders’ license is active and no disciplinary actions or remedial plans have been filed since the license was issued in 2017, according to the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners website.
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“Conrad walked into a dentist’s office with a chip tooth and he never came home,” said Rob Ammons, the lead attorney for Conrad’s family. “We have filed this lawsuit today to honor his memory and to try to make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”
A court date has not been set in the 190th Judicial District Court.
In an emotional statement, Conrad’s family described him as a “big teddy bear” and a “strong-minded person.”
“There’s some shoes that are now missing,” said Dianna Carr, who shares two children with Conrad. “There’s a voice that’s missing now. I always thought that if something happens to me, I know where my kids were going. And now with him gone, there’s so many questions…we want the people responsible held accountable…and I don’t think there is enough that can be said or done to replace DJ’s life.”
De’Andreal Jackson, Conrad’s mother, said she wants to make sure his legacy “lives on for the sake of my grandchildren.”
“This has been a long road and a long process,” she said.
This article originally published at Lawsuit over Houston man’s death alleges Spring dental clinic was negligent.