Florida Dental Board Votes to Revoke Ponte Vedra Implant Dentist's License Over a Patient's 2023 Death, Overruling a Judge Who Recommended Dismissal

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Florida Board of Dentistry voted unanimously Nov. 6 to revoke the license of Dr. Francesco Sebastiani, a Ponte Vedra dental implant surgeon known to patients as "Dr. Franco," over the 2023 death of a patient after an implant procedure in Jacksonville, First Coast News reported. The board reached that decision even though a state administrative law judge had recommended the case be dismissed. Sebastiani's attorney said he will appeal, and the revocation does not take effect until the board files a written final order.

The case was listed on the board's Nov. 6 agenda in Fort Lauderdale as a recommended order in Case No. 2023-07696, according to the agenda posted by the Florida Department of Health. The board met at the Marriott North Hotel on North Andrews Avenue. It was one of two recommended orders the board took up that morning.

What the state said happened

The patient, Colleen Krause Straw, had dental implant surgery on Feb. 1, 2023, at a dental implant center in Jacksonville and died four days later, on Feb. 5, according to the state's administrative complaint as reported by News4JAX. The complaint, filed Jan. 21, 2025, described her as a 68-year-old woman with severe obesity, obstructive sleep apnea and other conditions, and it listed her causes of death as including multi-organ failure, brain death and acute respiratory failure that began during the procedure. First Coast News, which reported her age as 67, said she suffered complications during the surgery.

The Department of Health alleged Sebastiani fell below the standard of care by operating on a high-risk patient in a dental office instead of a hospital, and by failing to properly monitor and record her vital signs, News4JAX reported. During the procedure the patient had low oxygen levels and inadequate chest rise, and she was given drugs to reverse anesthesia, including flumazenil, Narcan and epinephrine, before emergency medical services were called, the complaint said. A malpractice claim tied to the case settled for $400,000 in May 2025, according to Florida Office of Insurance Regulation records cited by News4JAX.

Why the board overruled the judge

An administrative law judge heard the case over seven days, beginning in April, and found the state had not proven a standard-of-care violation, First Coast News reported. The judge recommended dismissal and found that Sebastiani's actions were reasonable. The Department of Health urged the board to reject that recommendation, and board members voted unanimously to do so.

Sebastiani's lawyer, Jon Pellett, argued at the hearing that the dentist obtained appropriate medical clearances, chose a suitable treatment setting and kept monitoring the patient, First Coast News reported in April. When she became unresponsive, Pellett said, Sebastiani followed advanced cardiac life support protocols, including ventilation with a bag-valve mask and a nasopharyngeal airway. After the Nov. 6 vote, the board denied Pellett's request to stay its decision, and he said he disagrees with the findings and plans to take the case to an appeals court.

When the revocation takes effect

The timeline above is based on First Coast News' account of the process. Until the order is filed, the state's license records may still show the license as active. Patients can check any Florida dentist's status through the Department of Health's online license verification search.

Other complaints still pending

The Department of Health has filed two more administrative complaints against Sebastiani, and they remain pending, First Coast News reported. One, filed May 22, 2026, involves the October 2025 death of Roy Estes III, 44, during same-day full-mouth dental implant surgery at Florida Dental Implant Studio in Ponte Vedra. That complaint alleges the practice did not use an automated external defibrillator when Estes went into cardiac arrest, that it did not have one, and that records were not properly kept.

The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office closed its investigation into Estes' death without criminal charges after the medical examiner ruled it an accident, First Coast News reported. The medical examiner found a combination of substances in his system, including a compound found in kratom, an antidepressant, Benadryl and a dental numbing medication. A separate March 2026 complaint concerns advertising claims about "the best dental implants" and being a leading implant surgeon, the station reported, and Pellett has said the allegations are disputed.

The Department of Health has declined to discuss the pending cases, citing ongoing litigation. A department spokesperson told First Coast News in June that licensees are entitled to due process under Florida's Administrative Procedure Act. Under that law, a licensee can ask a state district court of appeal to review an agency's final order once it is filed.

What's next for the board

The Board of Dentistry's next full board meeting is Feb. 12, 2027, in Gainesville, according to its posted calendar. The board is scheduled to meet in Jacksonville on May 7, 2027, at the Aloft Jacksonville Tapestry Park. Any ruling on an appeal would come from the courts, not the board.