Cedar Rapids dentist surrenders license after third charge of professional incompetence

A Cedar Rapids dentist with a history of disciplinary actions has agreed to surrender his license after being accused for the third time of professional incompetence, according to records from the Iowa Dental Board.

Dr. Masih Safabakhsh, formerly of Gentle Dental in Cedar Rapids, voluntarily relinquished his license to practice dentistry in Iowa as part of a settlement agreement accepted by the board in late August. The board cited him for failing to maintain a reasonably satisfactory standard of competency and for indiscriminately prescribing or dispensing medication.

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In documents filed Feb. 25, the board alleged that Safabakhsh performed root canals and crown work on teeth that did not need treatment while neglecting teeth that did, and that he routinely prescribed antibiotics unnecessarily.

Safabakhsh did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement but acknowledged that the allegations, if proven, would constitute grounds for discipline. He cannot seek reinstatement of his license for at least one year.

This marks the third time the Iowa Dental Board has taken action against Safabakhsh.

In 2011, the board conducted a full investigation after receiving complaints about Safabakhsh’s orthodontic work. According to board records, investigators subpoenaed patient files and had them reviewed by a dental consultant who concluded that Safabakhsh was not practicing to an acceptable standard of care in orthodontics.

The board’s findings stated that Safabakhsh had used a cutting or grinding device to excessively reduce the contact between several posterior teeth to place orthodontic bands, which caused “severe and irreversible” damage that would require restorative treatment. Investigators also found that his patient records lacked evidence of orthodontic diagnosis or treatment plans and that his overall treatment “did not meet the standard of care.”

The board determined that his continued practice of permanently removing tooth structure during orthodontic procedures posed “an immediate danger to the public health, safety and welfare.” In an emergency order issued that year, the board suspended Safabakhsh from initiating orthodontic treatment for new patients and from using any grinding or cutting tool to separate teeth for band placement, citing ongoing risk to patients.

He was fined $7,500 and permanently barred from using such tools in orthodontic procedures.

Less than a year later, in 2012, the board again issued an emergency order suspending his license after multiple new complaints revealed a pattern of unsafe and unethical conduct. He was also fined $10,000.

According to board records, one patient suffered a medical emergency after being administered 16 cartridges of a local anesthetic, more than three times the manufacturer’s recommended maximum dosage. The patient had to be transported to a hospital by ambulance. The board also alleged substandard dental work and billing for services not performed. Safabakhsh was reinstated under probationary terms after remedial training.

The board lifted all restrictions on his license in April 2022.

As part of his most recent disciplinary order, the board warned Safabakhsh that any future violations could result in additional sanctions. The board also will report the surrender to the National Practitioner Data Bank.

Safabakhsh’s attorney, Christine Conover, declined to comment for this article.

The Iowa Capital Dispatch contributed to this report.

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