Erie dentist's license suspended for 3 years for alcohol use, other violations

The Pennsylvania Board of Dentistry has suspended the license of an Erie dentist for three years after he violated the terms of a previous consent agreement by consuming alcohol, and closing his practice without providing dental services for patients who had paid in advance.

Robert P. Esser, 55, of Millcreek Township, is not permitted to practice dentistry in the state until Oct. 20, 2025 at the earliest, according to a final order issued Dec. 12 by the Pennsylvania Department of State, which oversees the board.

A legal advertisement about the suspension was published Sunday in the Erie Times-News.

Esser had reached a consent agreement with the board in January 2021 in which he admitted to having an alcohol use disorder since 2019. He had undergone substance abuse treatment earlier in the year.

Efforts to contact Esser for this story were not successful.

Under the terms of the agreement, Esser was to abstain from alcohol, undergo unannounced drug and alcohol testing, comply with the Pennsylvania Health Monitoring Program, and participate in monthly calls with the Pennsylvania Medical Society's Physician's Health Program.

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Esser also was not to withdraw from any dentist-patient relationships "in a manner which did not permit the patient to obtain dental care in a timely manner," the agreement stated.

Failing to follow these terms would result in the suspension of his dental license.

In late November 2021, Esser submitted a blood sample that tested positive for an alcohol biomarker. He then stopped making his monthly PHP calls and paying his PHP fees, failed to submit to a PHMP evaluation as required by Feb. 1, 2022, and stopped submitting to drug and alcohol screening tests since March 1, 2022.

Esser also accepted payment of $2,437 from a patient for partial dentures, then closed his practice, Esser Family Dental, without notifying the patient, delivering the dentures or returning the payment, according to the Department of State.

Another patient reported that they only learned the practice was closed when they went to its website to confirm a routine appointment in March 2021. The patient tried, without success, to receive a copy of their dental records from Esser, according to department filings.

Esser's office, which was located at 5127 Zuck Road, was later sold in a judicial/bankruptcy sale and is now used by a different dentist.

In order to regain his license, Esser would have to wait until October 2025, pass a criminal background check, prove that he has not practiced dentistry during his suspension, and meet any administrative requirements.

Contact David Bruce at dbruce@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNBruce.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: State suspends Erie dentist's license for alcohol and other violations