Denture Fight: Dentist Assaults Elderly Patient Over Dentures

By Cynthia Hsu, Esq. on May 27, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Denture fight! Want to know how to win in a brawl against your dentist? Fight with your teeth - your fake teeth.

Local dentist Michael Hammonds of Florida was sent to jail after a denture tug-of-war this week. His opponent? 85-year old, denture-wearing Virginia Graham.

Graham and Hammonds got in a scuffle at Hammonds' office after a painful denture fitting. Hammonds was arrested and charged with false imprisonment, grand theft, battery on a person over 65 years old, and assault on a person over 65 years old, reports the Orlando Sentinel.

According to the sheriff, Graham arrived at Hammonds' office to undergo a routine fitting for her new dentures. After a few moments, Graham began screaming in pain due to the procedure. She then pulled out the dentures, flung them at the dentist, and demanded a refund. When Hammonds refused to give her a refund, Graham tried to grab the dentures back, resulting in a tug of war that carried out from the examination room to the reception area, reports the Daily Mail.

As if this wasn't bizarre enough, the incident continued. Graham bit Hammonds, ending the tug-of-war. She then tried to escape out of a window in the reception area, but was held down by a staff member. Hammonds then refused to let her leave, blocking the door, reports WESH-TV.

Hammonds' actions netted him a date with the county jail. For whatever reason - perhaps the marks on her arms - Graham has not been jailed for any of her actions, though certainly throwing dentures at a dentist and biting him could be considered assault.

For Hammonds, his actions in the reception area are the cause of a false imprisonment charge. Generally, for a false imprisonment charge to stick there has to be a willful, unlawful detention of a person without their consent. Hammonds probably did not have Graham's consent.

So, all you dentists out there, next time you get into a denture fight... be warned. Being a service-oriented professional like a dentist, a fight in your office is probably not the way to get those good Yelp reviews.

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