This resulted in four fines (and one case left to be sentenced) with a total value of £6,260, as well as compensation for the victims totalling £2,000 and costs to the GDC of over £3,500.
Of the five October prosecutions, one was related to tooth whitening – an increasingly common occurrence where individuals offer this service despite not being on the register of dental professions, which is against the law.
Other offences involved taking impressions for dentures whilst not on the register and practising with the title of a dental care professional without registering with the GDC.
Major examples of this work included:
- Cheryl Roberts, of Waterloo, Liverpool, who provided an illegal and dangerous tooth whitening service to a teenage girl, resulting in severe permanent damage to her teeth and gums and the inevitable loss of two front teeth.
- Robert Webb, of Hitchin, Hertfordshire, who offered to take impressions and provide dentures in an unhygienic and unsuitable setting two years after being taken off the GDC register for failing to keep up with his CPD requirements.
- Ieva Kudirkaite, of Pinner, London, who unlawfully used the title dental hygienist and worked in this position despite not being on the register – and pretended to be a receptionist at the same practice as cover.
Victoria Sheppard-Jones, interim head of illegal practice at the GDC said: “It has been a successful month for the GDC as we have continued to carry out our primary duty of safeguarding patients and ensuring high standards in the dental profession.
“What this month’s cases show is that, whilst tooth whitening is still a big issue for us, we are committed to ensuring that the public is protected from all acts of illegal dentistry. We hope that the work the Illegal Practice team encourages people to comply with the law, but will prosecute if necessary to protect the public.
“We urge any individuals looking for dental services to check they are on our register – details can be found on our website.”