Florida dentist accused of ‘sadistic and systemic’ torture of child patients

Florida pediatric dentist Howard Schneider is now under investigation by the state and is facing a class-action lawsuit from people who claim his practice is a “sadistic and systematic scheme of physical and psychological torture and abuse.”

In the lawsuit filed in Duval County, Florida, four plaintiffs claim Dr. Schneider practice was a “house of horrors,” where children were strapped down, choked and left with marks on their faces. The lawsuit includes testimony from former patients, parents and past employees, who accused Dr. Schneider of getting “sexual excitement” from causing his patients’ pain.

The claims seem to be corroborated by years of Google reviews…

“He capped my sons front teeth with silver caps, painted them white and three have fell out within 4 months, he straps kids down with a buckles in a chair and it is heart breaking,” one person anonymously said three years ago.

Another person said, “When we arrived for that one he told me that my son would be strapped to a board with only novacaine and laughing gas which he never turned on. The whole time my son was screaming and in terrible pain. He kept telling my son to shut up and it doesn’t really hurt.”

Photo submitted as example of abuse, via First Coast News.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs claimed Dr. Schneider targeted families with low incomes or who didn’t speak English to “limit the ability of these initially unsuspecting parents and families to protect their children.” In an interview with WFOX last week, one mom said she took her daughter in to have one tooth removed — but was horrified when the 6-year-old girl emerged with seven teeth missing and bruises on her face. The nurses told her the girl accidentally fell face-first on the ground.

According to First Coast News, two malpractice cases against Dr. Schneider were dismissed in 1995. In 2001 and 2013, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office was called after getting reports Dr. Schneider was using excessive force on children. Although he refused to comment this week, he previously denied the abuse allegations, saying, “I’m sure in my lifetime I’ve done something that is off color, but it ain’t mistreat kids.”

In addition to the lawsuit, he is now under investigation by the state for Medicaid fraud.