A dentist in Iowa accused of treating nearly a dozen patients for "severe gum disease" when in fact they were healthy had his license placed on probation for two years, according to a settlement order from the Dental Board of the State of Iowa.
Also, the state dental board is requiring Dr. Jeffrey Rubel, the owner of Coral West Dental in Coralville, IA, to take a remedial education program and an ethics course. Rubel will be monitored by the board during his probation period and pay $600, according to a final order signed by the board on January 23.
In March 2025, the board filed charges against Rubel after finding probable cause that he “made misleading, deceptive, untrue or fraudulent representations” while practicing dentistry, engaged in “unprofessional or unethical conduct,” and failed to maintain a “reasonably satisfactory standard of competency” while practicing.
Rubel allegedly diagnosed a patient with severe periodontal disease and began treating the patient for the condition. The patient visited another dentist, and the clinician found no signs of gum disease, according to the order.
Another patient reported a similar complaint to the board, alleging that Rubel diagnosed her with severe gum disease and told her that without costly treatments, “she could have a stroke, heart attack, or other serious illness.” When this patient visited another dentist she had previously seen, the clinician said she had no periodontal disease, according to the order.
A consultant reviewed the records of 11 patients from Rubel’s practice and found “a repeated practice of overdiagnosis, particularly in young, healthy patients with no evidence of severe periodontal disease,” according to the settlement order.
Further, according to the settlement agreement, Rubel reportedly failed to make notes about prognosis and reevaluation plans in these patients’ files.
Though Rubel signed the settlement order, he made no admission of guilt or wrongdoing.
