A Washington state dentist who allegedly left 2 minor patients unattended while they were sedated, among other allegations, has had her license to administer anesthesia suspended by the state's Department of Health.

Kristine Lazar Grace, DDS, of the Oral & Facial Surgery Center of Puyallup, Wash., is also accused of altering patient records to try to blame an assistant and cover her own tracks.

In one of the incidents, a sedated child allegedly left the treatment room and wandered into the waiting room with an IV bag in tow. According to the state's Dental Quality Assurance Commission, Dr. Grace wrote an addendum on the patient's chart, blaming her assistant for leaving the room to get an instrument. In fact, says the commission, Dr. Grace had left the child unattended to complete surgery on another patient.

Another sedated minor, who was allegedly left alone when Dr. Grace ordered her assistant to help with surgery on a different patient, called his mother in the waiting area to tell her he'd been left alone. After the mother went back to check on her son, Dr. Grace wrote that the incident happened while her assistant "was writing notes and gathering instruments."

After the state began to investigate those and other incidents, Dr. Grace is said to have told one of her assistants to coordinate with other staff members and "get their stories straight for the Health Department."

Dr. Grace has 20 days to request a hearing and contest the suspension.

In 2009, Dr. Grace was accused of diverting Percocet tablets for her own use by prescribing them to a fictitious patient. She was released from supervision stemming from that charge in 2014.

Dr. Grace did not respond to a request for comment.

Jim Burger