UF Dentist Accused of Negligence
On February 20, 2026, the University of Florida (UF) Board of Trustees, along with UF Health and Shands, were named as defendants in a negligence lawsuit stemming from an alleged botched dental procedure by Dr. Sherif Hosney.
According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff underwent a routine dental procedure with Hosney on July 10, 2023, at the UF Health Faculty Dental Practice in Gainesville.
The lawsuit states, “Hosney negligently dropped a 2.5-centimeter dental burr into [Plaintiff’s] throat, which she inadvertently swallowed and/or aspirated while laying in a supine position with her mouth open. Following the swallowing and/or aspiration of the dental burr, Dr. Hosney failed to immediately locate, retrieve, or account for the foreign object, and failed to initiate appropriate emergency protocols to confirm its location or otherwise prevent further injury.”
"As a direct and proximate result of Dr. Hosney's negligence, [Plaintiff] was
emergently transported to the UF Health Shands Emergency Department," the lawsuit describes. She immediately underwent a lung examination procedure, with staff allegedly believing the burr entered her respiratory system, however, this was later determined to not be the case.
The lawsuit states, “Due to the size, shape, and the metallic nature of the dental burr, and the risk of perforation, infection, or obstruction, Plaintiff required prolonged inpatient hospitalization, imaging, and invasive diagnostic procedures until the burr could be safely removed. Plaintiff was admitted to UF Health Shands Hospital for approximately five (5) days. During [her] hospitalization, she experienced fear, anxiety, and emotional distress associated with the uncertainty of the burr's location, concern of potential lung injury, and the risk of internal damage while the foreign object remained lodged inside her body. The dental burr was eventually found in the cecum of [Plaintiff’s] intestine, where it remained lodged for several days. On [Plaintiff's] final day of hospitalization, the dental burr was finally retrieved from her body.”
The lawsuit says that Hosney breached the standards for applicable care in multiple ways.
Summons have been issued for the defendants to appear, but they haven’t yet responded or addressed the allegations in court. There aren’t any scheduled court dates right now.
Multiple legal entities that encompass UF Health and Shands have been named as defendants due to their varying levels of responsibility and authority over the plaintiff's care. She seeks over $100,000 in damages.
