Millionaire French dentists sentenced to years in prison over thousands of needless root canals

A French father-son dentist team was sentenced this week to a combined 13 years in jail over their practice of fraudulently drilling root canals in patients' teeth in order to steer them toward expensive bridges and dental equpiment. 

Lionel and Carnot Guedj will serve eight and five years in prison, respectively, for their scheme that left many of their patients unable to smile and in "unbearable pain," presiding judge Celine Ballerini said in the proceedings. 

Son Lionel reportedly drilled nearly 4,000 root canals in the teeth of several hundred patients, procedures which would eventually lead to full-tooth extractions and their replacement with costly bridge fittings. 

One patient claimed to have "lost half my teeth by the time I was 45, and at 55 I no longer had any, only implants." 

The duo were ordered to proceed directly to prison regardless of whether or not they appeal the decision.