Sherman, Texas: Dentist allegedly operated on child while intoxicated
A dentist has been charged after police allege she carried out a procedure on a child while intoxicated.
A dentist has been charged after police allege she carried out a procedure on a child while intoxicated.
Kelly Buck was performing a filling and crowning procedure on an eight-year-old boy when a dental technician assisting her noticed behaviour that led her to believe she was intoxicated and halted the procedure mid-way, according to a search warrant affidavit.
The boy’s father then called emergency services, WFAA reported.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Mrs Buck was arrested on Monday, February 16, at Pediatric Dentistry in Sherman, Texas, after staff raised concerns about her behaviour while treating a patient, according to a Sherman Police Department press release.
Officers who responded to the clinic said they observed signs of intoxication and conducted a field sobriety test before arresting 36-year-old Mrs Buck. Local outlet KXII reported she allegedly failed the test field sobriety test.
She’s been charged with performing surgery while intoxicated.
Police confirmed she had treated one patient before officers arrived. Investigators later obtained a warrant for a sample of Mrs Buck’s blood as part of the probe.
She has denied the allegations.
“Mrs Buck is not guilty of the charges she was arrested for,” said her attorney, Matthew Hamilton, in a statement to KXII.
“She has been a licensed dentist since 2016 and takes treating her patients very seriously. She looks forward to the blood results as it will show that no drugs or alcohol were in her system. I anticipate that will clear her name so she can go back to taking care of her patients.”
Mrs Buck also told WFAA she offered to take a breathalyser test but claimed officers “refused.”
“This is absurd,” Mrs Buck said. “I plan on fighting this. In the meantime, it’s doing irreparable damage to my career.”
Her lawyer told the outlet that Mrs Buck allowed police to search her car and that no contraband was found.
Police said she was working in a temporary role through a staffing agency at the time of the incident.
“It’s definitely a very unusual case,” Sherman Police’s Sam Boyle said, according to KXII.
Ms Buck was booked into the Grayson County Jail before being released on a $10,000 bond. If convicted, she faces up to two years behind bars.
