A disturbing medical malpractice and financial exploitation case has emerged from Shaanxi province in northwestern China, where local health authorities have shut down a dental clinic after a disastrous procedure on a senior citizen. The Datuanyuan Dental Clinic in the city of Baoji has been accused of removing all 12 teeth of a 63-year-old patient during a single visit, installing 10 implants, and wiping out his bank accounts and digital wallets to pay for the exorbitant costs.
The victim, identified only as Mr. Li, initially came to the clinic last September for a simple toothache. According to local reports, he was lured by aggressive and highly misleading advertisements that advertised the clinic with such false promises as “Get a dental implant in the morning and eat meat in the afternoon” and “Have a complete set of teeth, live past 100.” Li accepted the clinic’s offer of a free check-up and the staff even sent him to the clinic by car.
But the routine visit quickly turned predatory. Instead of treating the individual toothache alone, clinic staff went on to perform a massive overhaul of his oral cavity in which 12 teeth and 10 implants were removed at once. After surgery, staff took complete control of Li’s money accounts, emptying 18,800 yuan (about Rs 2.6 Lakh) from his bank cards and digital wallets. Even after emptying his funds, the clinic slapped him with an outstanding debt of 6,200 yuan (Rs 87,000). Mr. Li spoke of the nightmare to the South China Morning Post, saying that when his son found him he was bleeding in his mouth and had only 30 yuan (Rs 420) left to take the bus home.
Li’s family has been in a mess, and the clinic failed to take his pre-existing health problems seriously. He has a number of serious medical issues including coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and a history of myocardial infarction, and he has four coronary stents. Stomatology experts at Wuhan University’s Renmin Hospital have said patients with chronic diseases like diabetes should have blood sugar levels controlled and preoperative checks before any dental implant surgery, and mass extractions and multiple implants are deadly to them. The magnitude of such a reckless procedure was highlighted by a similar tragic case in China in 2024, when a man died just 13 days after a clinic extracted 23 teeth and inserted 12 implants in one day.
Li’s family filed three official complaints to the local health bureau, exposing apparent irregularities and document forgery. The family alleged that the clinic often changed medical logs and made new files if discrepancies were pointed out. So in an odd move of administrative incompetence, the clinic even recorded Mr. Li's gender as 'female' and refused to provide a mandatory preoperative cardiology consultation report until six months after surgery. Health officials found evidence of severe misconduct by the clinic, including the failure to provide alternative treatment plans, incorrect medical records and inadequate preoperative checks. The clinic was ordered to refund Li’s money and shut down immediately for rectification.
