WARNING: This story references actions deemed as sexual abuse by the dental profession’s regulatory college.
A disciplinary committee has stripped a longtime London, Ont., dentist of his licence after he admitted to having a sexual relationship with a patient, something the regulatory college says constitutes sexual abuse.
In its decision made public Monday, the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO) panel said Dr. Brock Rondeau “engaged in multiple acts of professional misconduct” when he initiated a relationship with a female patient in or around 2020 to 2022.
It also found he breached patient privacy rights when he sent the woman a photo of his schedule that showed the names and phone numbers of other patients and reasons for their appointments, the panel’s decision says.
“Your professional misconduct is a matter of profound concern. It is completely unacceptable to your fellow dentists and to the public,” the panel told Rondeau during a July 15 hearing in Toronto.
Rondeau admitted to the allegations, according to the decision document. During the July 15 hearing, his certificate of registration was revoked.
A longtime RCDSO member — his profile shows he first registered in June 1966 after getting his dental degree from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia — Rondeau had led a distinguished career hosting educational seminars for dental professionals and has authored several research papers.
Before his registration was revoked, he operated a private practice in London specializing in orthodontic issues and problems related to snoring, sleep apnea and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, according to his former clinic’s website.
The woman, who needed orthodontic and TMJ treatment, was referred to Rondeau by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) in 2018.
Any time that a practitioner is considering their own needs, they might not be acting in the fiduciary interest, in the best interest of that patient.– Jacob Shelley, associate law professor at Western University
Two years later, the panel said, Rondeau “breached appropriate dentist-patient boundaries” and initiated a sexual relationship with the woman, during which he “engaged in touching of a sexual nature of the patient.”
As a result, the panel found Rondeau had sexually abused the patient under the Health Professions Procedural Code of the Regulated Health Professions Act, which defines sexual abuse as “sexual intercourse or other forms of physical sexual relations between a registrant and a patient.”
Rondeau was not accused of criminal wrongdoing and no criminal charges were laid.
Such laws and policies exist to protect patients from the power imbalance in patient-practitioner relationships and ensure they’re receiving advice in their best interests, said Jacob Shelley, an associate professor of law at Western University.
“Any time that a practitioner is considering their own needs, they might not be acting in the fiduciary interest, in the best interest of that patient,” Shelley said.
“What if you’re the one specialist working with that particular dental problem that this patient has access to? You’re now minimizing their opportunity to get good care.”
CBC News attempted to reach Rondeau for comment through Facebook and by phone, including through the office of his seminar business and the lawyer who represented him at the hearing, but did not receive a response by publication.
A staff member at his former practice, now run by a different dentist, told a CBC News reporter on Wednesday that Rondeau had retired.
Photos sent to woman had info of other patients
The panel said it also found Rondeau’s conduct constituted abuse under the code. It said Rondeau admitted to inviting the woman to travel with him to Collingwood and Florida, and sending her intimate messages.
During their involvement, the woman took care of a vacation property for Rondeau and the two discussed purchasing a home in Costa Rica, the decision document says.
Rondeau admitted he sent the woman photos that contained confidential information of other patients — one of his daily schedule and another of multiple patient laboratory prescriptions — an act of professional misconduct, the panel said.
The panel also found Rondeau’s overall conduct constituted professional misconduct, as it would reasonably be regarded as “disgraceful, dishonourable, unprofessional and/or unethical” under the Dentistry Act.
Rondeau’s certification of registration was taken away — a requirement under the code upon a finding of sexual abuse.
It’s illegal to practise in Ontario without a valid certificate, and under the code, Rondeau can’t apply for a new one for another five years.
He was also ordered to reimburse the college for funding therapy and counselling to the patient, and provide security for the payment, at a cost of $17,370. He also must reimburse the college for $10,000 in costs.
In an oral reprimand, the panel told Rondeau his actions brought discredit to the profession and himself, and that over a three-year period, he “continued to exercise poor judgment” and ignore the professions’ strict rules regarding the abuse and sexual abuse of patients, and crossing of patient-dentist boundaries.
“Public confidence in this profession has been put in jeopardy.”
Support is available for anyone who has experienced sexual assault and violence. You can access crisis lines and local support services through this government of Canada website (https://bit.ly/3D1rUmb) or the Ending Violence Association of Canada database (https://bit.ly/3ilpp67).
If you’re in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.
