An administrative law judge ruled that the state board of dentistry should dismiss a complaint against Dr. Francesco Sebastiani following a 2023 patient death from complications after a dental implant procedure, though the state board is expected to hear the case in November and the dentist faces other pending complaints.
- An administrative judge ruled to dismiss the complaint against Dr. Francesco Sebastiani in the death of Colleen Krause Straw following a dental implant procedure in 2023.
- The state accused Sebastiani of failing to treat a high-risk patient in a hospital setting and not properly monitoring vital signs, but the judge found insufficient evidence of negligence.
- Sebastiani faces additional complaints including another patient death (Roy Estes III in October 2025) ruled accidental and one related to advertising violations.
- Roy Estes' death was caused by combined toxicity of multiple medications including kratom, fluoxetine, diphenhydramine, and bupivacaine, with no single agent identified as the cause.
- The state board of dentistry is expected to hear the case in November despite the administrative judge's recommendation to dismiss.
An administrative law judge ruled on August 27 that the state board of dentistry should dismiss a complaint against a dentist in Florida involving the death of a patient following a dental implant procedure, according to a story published August 29 in First Coast News.
After an administrative hearing, a judge recommended that the complaint be dismissed against Dr. Francesco Sebastiani following the 2023 death of his patient, Colleen Krause Straw, according to the story.
Sebastiani, of the Florida Dental Implant Studio in Ponte Vedra, FL, could have his license suspended or permanently revoked due to the death of Straw, who died following complications from the procedure he performed, according to the story.
The state accuses Sebastiani of failure to treat a high-risk patient in a hospital setting and failure to properly monitor and record Straw's vital signs and respiration.
The judge wasn’t convinced that the state proved that Sebastiani acted below the acceptable standard of care. Nevertheless, the state board of dentistry is expected to hear the case in November, according to the story.
However, this is not the only complaint that Sebastiani faces. He faces possible disciplinary action related to another patient death. The other complaint involves advertising.
In April, a medical examiner ruled that the death of Roy Estes III, 44, during a dental implant procedure was accidental; therefore, no criminal charges were filed against Sebastiani.
Autopsy results revealed that Estes' death was due to the "combined toxicity of mitragynine, fluoxetine, diphenhydramine, and bupivacaine." Mitragynine is the primary alkaloid found in the herbal supplement kratom, fluoxetine is an antidepressant, diphenhydramine is an antihistamine, and bupivacaine is a long-acting local anesthetic.
In October 2025, Estes went to Sebastiani to have 23 teeth extracted and 10 implants placed. Midway through the hours-long procedure, Estes stopped breathing. An ambulance was called, but Estes died at the practice.
Other than the bupivacaine, all medications found in Estes were taken before his dental appointment. According to the medical examiner's report, the medications were at concentrations within toxic ranges.
Furthermore, the report noted there was no documentation about the dose, route, and timing of the anesthetic. Therefore, Estes' death could not be attributed to one single agent.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
