NEWARK - The State Board of Dentistry, the licensing and regulatory body that oversees approximately 8,000 dentists practicing in New Jersey, this month took disciplinary actions against the five dentists listed below.

“We expect licensees to adhere to our regulations governing professional conduct. People entrust their care to these professionals and our boards will act when that trust is broken,” Attorney General Anne Milgram said.

“We will investigate when consumers file complaints with us alleging improper or illegal activity,” said David Szuchman, Consumer Affairs Director.

On December 12, the Board of Dentistry ordered Susan Krutyansky, D.D.S., and Mikhail Gordeev, D.D.S. to each pay $1,750 in civil penalties and reimburse the state $6,900 for its investigative costs after finding that they submitted insurance claims to a third party that did not accurately reflect the actual work performed. Krutyansky and Gordeev, who co-own Smart Choice Dental in Metuchen, also failed to comply with Board regulations pertaining to patient records. Each was ordered to complete a seven-hour course in record keeping and submit to one random audit. This matter was settled by Consent Orders between the parties.

On December 12, the Board of Dentistry suspended the license of Gerald J. Whiteman, D.D.S., for a five year period, the first two years being an active suspension beginning on April 17, 2008 and the remaining three years stayed and served as a period of probation. Whiteman, whose address of record is in Old Bridge, pled guilty to one count of health care claims fraud in the second degree effective in April. At sentencing, Whiteman was ordered to serve three years in state prison and pay $13,500 in fines and restitution to Medicaid. He also was barred from being a Medicaid provider for five years.

On December 12, the Board of Dentistry suspended the license of Gerald P. Hirsch, D.D.S., for a nine-year period, retroactive to December 14, 1999. Hirsch, whose address of record is in Branchburg, was licensed in New Jersey from July, 1963 to November, 1999. He has not renewed his license since then. In December, 1999, Hirsch was convicted of six counts of mail fraud in U.S. District Court in New York, the mail fraud being unrelated to his practice of dentistry. He was sentenced to 97 months of imprisonment and three years supervised release and ordered to pay $30.9 million in restitution plus interest.

If he applies for licensure, the Board set conditions on Hirsch, including compliance with the court's restitution order and prohibition from owning his own dental practice, having an ownership interest in a dental practice or being a solo practitioner.

On December 5, the Board of Dentistry reprimanded Gary Reba, D.D.S., and ordered the suspension of his license for a three-year period, the first six months being an active suspension and the remainder served as a period of probation. Reba, whose address of record is in New Brunswick, in April, 2007 entered into a Consent Order with the New Jersey Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor and pled guilty to theft by deception in the third degree and falsifying records in the fourth degree.

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