The Scott Methven lawsuit most commonly referenced is a commercial case his brother Nicholas filed against him in Washington State’s Douglas County Superior Court on December 26, 2019. It was one of several legal and financial pressures on the Wasilla, Alaska, dentist in the years before he died by suicide on March 13, 2022, at age 47.1Frontiersman. Dr. Scott Allen Methven
The Brother’s Commercial Suit in Washington
Nicholas I. Methven and an entity called Nim, Inc. sued Scott A. Methven, Aesthetic Family Dentistry LLC, and a second entity called Inaba, Inc. The matter was docketed as a general commercial case and assigned to Judge Brian C. Huber.2Trellis Law. Nicholas I Methven Et Al Vs Scott A Methven Et Al The specific allegations are not detailed in available court records, though business entities appear on both sides, which points to a commercial rather than personal-family dispute.
The case never reached trial. On June 2, 2021, the clerk closed it for want of prosecution, meaning the plaintiffs did not take the steps needed to move it forward.2Trellis Law. Nicholas I Methven Et Al Vs Scott A Methven Et Al It had been pending for roughly a year and a half. Scott’s wife, Melissa Methven, has said her husband was involved in a lawsuit for about five years by the time she asked him directly about suicidal thoughts, roughly a year before his death. That timeline suggests this dispute, or a related one, may have predated the 2019 filing.3South Dakota Dental Association. Interview: Truth Behind the Smile
Bankruptcy and the Align Technology Collection Case
About two months before the Douglas County case was dismissed, Aesthetic Family Dentistry LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Alaska on April 25, 2021.4PACER Monitor. Aesthetic Family Dentistry LLC, Case 3:21-bk-00083 Chapter 11 lets a business reorganize its debts while continuing to operate. The case stayed open for more than a year and was dismissed on June 24, 2022, coded as “dismissed for other reason” rather than through a confirmed reorganization plan.5BK Alerts. Alaska Bankruptcy Cases Scott Methven had died three months earlier.
After the bankruptcy was dismissed, Align Technology, the maker of Invisalign, sued Aesthetic Family Dentistry LLC in San Francisco County Superior Court on July 21, 2022, alleging goods sold and delivered on an unpaid account. An amended complaint five days later added Scott Allen Methven as an individual defendant. The claim against Methven was dismissed without prejudice on August 25, 2022, and the entire action was dismissed without prejudice on September 9, 2022.6UniCourt. Align Technology Inc vs Aesthetic Family Dentistry LLC Et Al The Better Business Bureau lists Aesthetic Family Dentistry as believed to be out of business.7Better Business Bureau. Aesthetic Family Dentistry
What Melissa Methven Has Said About the Toll
In an interview published by the South Dakota Dental Association about her book, The Truth Behind the Smiles, Melissa Methven described the lawsuit as a major source of “heaviness” for Scott. She said it compounded other pressures: roughly half a million dollars in student loan and business debt, debilitating back pain that led to increasing reliance on pain medication, and a six-day-a-week work schedule.3South Dakota Dental Association. Interview: Truth Behind the Smile
She described warning signs that built over time. Scott withdrew from hobbies like fishing. His sleep became erratic, his mood swung, and his alcohol use escalated from weekends to daily. When she checked on him, he insisted he had things under control. She called him a perfectionist who “hid it so well.”3South Dakota Dental Association. Interview: Truth Behind the Smile The terminal illness of his father, Allen Methven, also a dentist, added grief during this period.8Houghton Lake Resorter. Dr. Scott A. Methven
The family chose to disclose the cause of death publicly. The statement in his obituary read: “I chose, in this case, to do something to make people think about a very real problem. This is a situation where it is best to be honest and hope to save some lives in the future.”1Frontiersman. Dr. Scott Allen Methven
Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis can contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.