A Woodland, Calif., dentist may lose his dental license after being accused of fondling the breasts of 26 female patients, a practice he claims is a legitimate treatment for a common jaw problem, according to the Daily Democrat, a Woodland newspaper.
According to police, Mark Anderson explained in recorded phone calls that he massaged patients' chests to treat temporo-mandibular joint disorder, which causes neck and head pain, the Daily Democrat reported.
Administrative law Judge Jonathan Lew, who was removed from the case last week by the state Office of Administrative Hearings for undisclosed reasons, suspended Anderson's license last month after Anderson was charged with two misdemeanor counts of battery and sexual battery, according to the Daily Democrat.
The new judge, Melissa Crowell, held a hearing Monday to hear the evidence firsthand. The law requires Crowell to make a decision five days after the hearing, the Daily Democrat reported.
Anderson is currently free on $10,000 bail for a single sexual battery misdemeanor, the Daily Democrat reported.
-PATRICIO CHILE
