A Hudson Valley pediatric dentist has admitted to subjecting children to painful dental procedures they didn't need, authorities claim it was a scheme to line their pockets.

The dentist, as well as 13 dental practices in and around the Hudon Valley allegedly performed unnecessary pulpotomies on young patients. The procedure is similar to a root canal but is generally performed on baby teeth. In a statement, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger and Attorney General Letitia James called the dentist's actions "unconscionable" and "fraudulent."

Pediatric dentist Barry L. Jacobson and dentists at several of his practices admit to performing therapeutic pulpotomies on children's primary teeth even though there was no documentation of any actual dental decay.

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Jacobson is the founder and owner of several New York and New Jersey-based Pediatric Dentistry Practices including Pediatric Dentistry of Kingston. The dentist also operates practices in Paterson, Teaneck, Wykoff, Flushing, the Bronx, Valley Stream, Brooklyn, Monsey, Albany, Malone and North Country.

Jacobson and the affiliated corporate defendants admit that, in some instances between 2011 and 2018, some dentists affiliated with HQRC performed and billed Medicaid for pulpotomies not supported by the medical records maintained at the respective HQRC affiliated dental practices. The defendants also admit that in some instances, between 2011 and 2014, HQRC made billing errors to New York and New Jersey Medicaid contractors that resulted in inaccurate servicing provider information on claims for services performed at three of its locations.

The settlement requires Jacobson and HQRC Management Services to pay $753,457 to "resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by allegedly performing and billing for medically unnecessary therapeutic pulpotomies on pediatric patients."

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