KC man went to get a root canal. His dentist allegedly dropped a file down his throat
A Kansas City man filed a lawsuit in Jackson County court Monday after a local dentist allegedly dropped a file down the man’s throat during a root canal, according to Jackson County court documents.
On July 18, 2023, John Bussard went to Dental Arts KC in Independence to undergo a root canal procedure.
As Dr. Jeremy Bowen drilled a hole in Bussard’s tooth, he or another staff member allegedly dropped a metal root canal file down Bussard’s throat, according to court documents.
The lawsuit alleges Bowen failed to insert a dental dam, endodontic device, or other instrument to prevent Bussard from ingesting the tool.
Bowen allegedly attempted to retrieve the file from Brussard’s throat, taking the man into his personal bathroom to “attempt to provoke Mr. Brussard to vomit/throw up the file, which failed,” according to court documents.
An ambulance was not called for Brussard, court documents allege. Instead, Bowen’s dental assistant drove him in her car, as Brussard followed in his own, to an area hospital.
Brussard had to undergo surgery to remove the file and was later admitted to the hospital, according to court documents.
Following the incident, Brussard suffers from occasional difficulty swallowing, raspy voice and difficulty speaking, a permanent scar on his neck and pain in the area the file was lodged, according to court documents.
The lawsuit alleges that while Bowen had “some” training in endotonics, a specific form of procedure used to complete root canals, he did not have board certification or a master’s degree in endodontics.
Bowen currently serves on the board of trustees for the Missouri Dental Association, according to his Dental Arts KC biography page. He previously served as the president of the Greater Kansas City Dental Board.
Dental Arts KC did not respond to The Star’s request for comment.
This story was originally published July 15, 2025 at 5:16 PM.
