The Florida state dental board unanimously voted to revoke the license of a dentist following the death of a patient after a dental implant procedure, according to a story published on November 6 in First Coast News.
The Florida Board of Dentistry voted to revoke the license of Dr. Francesco Sebastiani of the Florida Dental Implant Studio in Ponte Vedra, FL, following the 2023 death of his patient, Colleen Krause Straw, a 67-year-old who died following complications from the procedure he performed.
Once the written order is filed by the state, which should occur within a week or two, Sebastiani will not be permitted to practice dentistry unless a stay is issued by an appeals court. The attorney representing Sebastiani said they plan to appeal the board’s decision, according to the story.
The board's decision rejected a September recommendation by an administrative law judge to dismiss the complaint against Sebastiani. The judge did not find that Sebastiani operated below the standard of care.
The state accused 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.
However, this is not the only complaint that Sebastiani faces. He faces possible disciplinary action related to another patient's 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.
