Puyallup dentist who left patients unattended can no longer give anesthesia

A Puyallup dentist no longer can administer anesthesia after the state found she didn’t properly monitor patients and tried to cover up her failure once an investigation was launched.

Dr. Kristine Grace can still practice dentistry but is barred from administering sedation.

The state Department of Health suspended Grace’s license in March while looking into accusations that she left two patients alone to complete surgeries on other patients.

One of the patients wandered out of the operating room and into the waiting room with an IV bag still attached. Another called his mother to report he was alone.

Grace altered patient records to cover up her errors and didn’t properly record the amount of anesthesia given to patients, including a 5-year-old boy, according to the Dental Quality Assurance Committee.

She has worked in Washington as a dentist for 15 years. The allegations go back to 2013, records show.

It’s the second time since 2009 that Grace has been in trouble.

She was accused of taking Percocet tablets for her own use by prescribing them to a fake patient and was placed under supervision, which expired in September 2014.

This story was originally published July 30, 2015 at 11:39 AM with the headline "Puyallup dentist who left patients unattended can no longer give anesthesia."