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Dentist allegedly drunk at work

Police have charged a local dentist for attempting to work on patients while intoxicated.

Dr. Gregory Bellotti, a dentist at Refresh Dental Management in Mars, is charged with public drunkenness and reckless endangerment in March.

He was arraigned at the end of July.

Dental Refresh staff called authorities on March 23 to report someone with an “altered level of consciousness.”

Upon arrival, police said, they found the dentist heavily intoxicated.

‘“Bellotti, a Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry, was under the influence of alcohol to a degree that his staff called 911 and summoned an ambulance to care for him,” according to the police report.

Bellotti admitted to police that he had drunk a bottle of vodka before police and EMS arrived. Responders then took him to UPMC Passavant for treatment where a blood test showed his blood alcohol content of an estimated .418 percent.

He was diagnosed with “Acute Alcohol Intoxication,” or alcohol poisoning.

Bellotti was scheduled to see 14 patients that day, but his staff stepped in when they realized something was wrong.

“Bellotti did see seven of the patients in the morning,” said the police complaint.

“Following his lunch break, Bellotti saw one patient, however did not see the remainder,” according to the police complaint.

Bellotti’s hearings and preliminary arraignments were at the end of July; his formal arraignment will be Sept. 5.

Meanwhile, the state dentistry board has suspended his license.

“Belotti was at work, and was seeing patients, and was scheduled to see additional patients despite his state of intoxication,” read the board’s report. “Bellotti’s reckless conduct placed or may have placed the patients in danger of death or serious bodily injury.”

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