Family of Deceased Patient Calls for Overhaul of Manitoba's Dental Regulation
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The parents of a 23-year-old woman who died after a dental procedure argue that the province's dual-role regulatory structure creates a conflict of interest.
The family of Virginia Blatz, who died on Nov. 27, 2024, after visiting Dr. Ronald Janz at the Boundary Trails Dental Centre in Morden, is calling for the dismantling of Manitoba's dental regulation system. According to reporting from CBC News, Dulaney and Victoria Blatz filed a lawsuit in Manitoba's Court of King's Bench claiming the care provided by Dr. Janz led to their daughter's death.
Central to the family's grievance is the structure of the Manitoba Dental Association, which serves as both the industry advocacy group and the provincial regulator. Victoria Blatz told CBC News that the association has maintained a "code of silence" regarding its investigation into the death, while Dulaney Blatz likened the dual-role structure to an "Old Boys club."
Dr. Jack Gerrow, executive director of the Canadian Dental Regulatory Authorities Federation, confirmed to CBC News that Manitoba and New Brunswick are the only remaining provinces where a single group handles both advocacy and regulation. Kerry Bowman, a bioethicist at the University of Toronto, told CBC News that merging these functions creates an "inherent conflict of interest" because the two roles have opposite goals.
In response to CBC News, the Manitoba Dental Association stated that having both functions within one body does not automatically mean an investigation is conflicted. The association noted that investigations are kept separate from advocacy activities and that any actual or perceived conflicts are managed through recusal and disclosure.
Public records from the dental association's registry show that Dr. Janz's ability to administer local anesthetic drugs is currently restricted, except when he is under supervision.