Opinion ID: 2216408
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Dental Office Fire.

Text: Sometime between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m. on October 24, 1992 someone broke into and set fire to the offices of Dr. Kenneth Benusis, a pediatric dentist. [1] A ceiling tile and air duct had been altered in an apparent effort to control the flow of the fire, possibly an attempt to cause it to spread to the second floor. Fire investigators found two separate ignition points. One of the two trays in the autoclave which ordinarily held sterilized dental instruments was found empty after the fire. When authorities later searched Hage's bedroom on December 10, 1992, they found three dental instruments in his desk drawer: a single ended, small size dental mirror; a single-ended # 23 Henry Schein shepherd's hook explorer; and a Henry Schein # 22 double-ended excavator. Dr. Benusis testified that although he could not positively identify the instruments found in Hage's room as definitely his dental tools or indicate that these were specifically missing after the fire, he was emphatic that these three instruments precisely matched the types of dental tools he used. Dental instruments come in different sizes, shapes and brands, but Dr. Benusis preferred to use a Henry Schein # 22 double-ended excavator on his child patients. He further explained that there are four available sizes of dental mirrors, but he prefers to use the shortest size: a single-ended mirror, just the same as the one found in Hage's desk. Dr. Benusis also uses a single-ended shepherd's hook Henry Schein # 23 explorer. Dentists often use double-ended instruments for adult patients, but as a pediatric dentist, Dr. Benusis favored using single-ended dental tools to minimize possible injury to squirming children.