Health Care Lawsuit Filed Against Unlicensed Bucks County Denture Business

A Bucks County man has been ordered to immediately stop performing unlicensed dental work after his business was accused of selling, fitting and manufacturing dentures without proper registrations from the state Board of Dentistry and Department of Health, along with performing dental work in an unsanitary and potentially hazardous manner.

Attorney General Tom Corbett said the lawsuit was filed against Floyd C. Heck Jr. and his business, J & K Dental Lab, located at 8782 New Falls Road, Levittown.

“Despite the lack of a dental license, Heck, routinely handled denture sales from start-to-finish – without required examinations by a professional dentist – triggering complaints about poor fitting, painful or otherwise unusable denture, as well as consumers who say they paid for dentures they never received,” Corbett said. “J & K Dental Lab failed a January 2010 inspection by the Department of Health and consumers reported the facility as ‘filthy’ – adding that Heck allegedly failed to use gloves or wash his hands before treating customers, including at least one instance where he purportedly returned to work after using the bathroom without washing.”

Corbett said that Heck is accused of violating numerous state health regulations and consumer protection laws, including:

* Performing dental work without being licensed by the Board of Dentistry.
* Violating a previous cease and desist order by the Dental Board concerning practicing without a license.
* Failing to maintain required prescriptions as a dental technician.
* Operating a dental lab that is not registered with the Department of Health.
* Violating a sanitation regulation.
* Failing to provide functional dentures.
* Along with numerous violations of Pennsylvania’s Consumer Protection Laws.
* And not registering a fictitious business name with the Department of State.

Corbett noted that on May 21, 2010, the Attorney General’s Health Care Section obtained a preliminary injunction on Bucks County Court of Common Pleas that prohibits Heck from performing unlicensed work as a dentist, dental technician or dental lab. The order also requires Heck to provide detailed information about all of his denture treatments and sales, as the Attorney General’s investigation continues.

“We have heard from a number of senior victims so far,” Corbett said, “and we believe there could be many more individuals who have not yet come forward.”

Corbett said additional victims can file formal complaints by calling the Attorney General’s Health Care Hotline, at 877-888-4877, or by visiting the Attorney General’s website and submitting an online complaint at www.attorneygeneral.gov (Click on the “Complaints” button on the front page of the website and select the “Health Care Complaint Form”).

The lawsuit was filed in Bucks County Court of Common Pleas by Deputy Attorney General Nicole L. VanOrder and Chief Deputy Attorney General Thomas M. Devlin of the Attorney General’s Health Care Section.

Corbett said the lawsuit seeks restitution for all consumers who were victimized, along with civil penalties of up to $1,000 for each violation (up to $3,000 for each violation involving a victim over the age of 60). Additionally, the lawsuit asks the court to prohibit Heck from operating as a dentist or dental technician until all restitution and penalties have been paid and he has fully complied with all appropriate licensing and registration requirements.

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