Tariq Drabu Highlights Illegal Dentistry

Illegal dentistry – that is a topic that has been coming up quite regularly lately, and one that I feel falls fairly close into the realms of the illegal teeth whitening practice that I have previously touched upon. You only have to look at the General Dental Council's (GDC) newsfeed and you’ll no doubt find mention of illegal ‘Dentists’ being prosecuted for various acts.

What is meant by an illegal dentist? These are most often individuals that have taken it upon themselves to conduct dental procedures without a dental license, the right equipment or in extreme cases, the appropriate training. Needless to say, it’s a terrifying thought.

The most recent cases to be brought to light involve "practitioners" in Wirral and Surrey, both of whom were operating dental clinics without the relevant licensing, with one of the offenders never having registered with the GDC in the first place.

Just to highlight a fundamental point made by the GDC in both cases; “By law all dentists, dental nurses, dental technicians, clinical dental technicians, dental hygienists, dental therapists and orthodontic therapists must be registered with the GDC to work in the UK. This is to ensure only appropriately qualified and skilled dental professionals are part of the dental team looking after patients.”

The fact that there are members of the medical community that are openly breaking the trust that the general public place in medical practitioners not only worries me, but also astounds me. In some extreme cases, these medical rogues that are looking to save money could potentially be putting lives at risk. 

Needless to say, this is a topic that I feel very strongly about and fully support the decision of the GDC to take up prosecution proceedings. At the Langley Dental Practice all our staff are GDC registered and have been for many years. Trust and care are just two of the things that should precede all other motives to work in such roles in any medical field.

Regards,
Tariq Drabu

Tariq Drabu: Staff Members Take Home Award!

It is a proud day for any employer when a member of your team is praised for their work by a member of the public. It is an even prouder day when a member of your team is recognised and honoured in a public display by fellow professionals for their efforts to the profession I have held dearly for the past 27 years.

With a great sense  of pride  I am delighted to  announce that one of our dental nurse cadets took home an award at the recent regional Cadet Annual Award Ceremony held in Manchester this past week. Sarah Gorman was presented the award for being the best cadet from the Manchester Dental School for the 2012/2013 intake. 

Having worked with myself, Tariq Drabu, and the other staff at the Langley Dental Practice
over the past 12 months. we are all truly humbled to have Sarah recognised for the outstanding thought and care that she clearly puts into all of her efforts at the practice.

I personally feel that such awards should also stand as a testament to other practicing nurses and dental experts in our medical profession. After all, it is nurses like Sarah that will be the next generation of staff that help deliver vital treatment for years to come.  As medical practitioners, there is a certain level of expertise and care that the general public expect members of our profession to provide. If we are able to set and maintain a high standard of expectations amongst our practicing nurses and dental staff early on in their studies, then surely this will help maintain even higher standards for years to come. It is certainly food for thought.

In my many years I have heard quite a few  horror stories from members of the public that  have faced rude or brash staff at various hospitals and clinics throughout the UK. To me, this is simply unacceptable and it is staff like Sarah that gives me hope for the future.

Thank you for all your hard work over the past months, Sarah. It is truly appreciated!

Dr Tariq Drabu Whitening Update

It is time for the government to redouble its efforts to prosecute illegal teeth whitening providers. This is in light of the recent English Department of Health review of cosmetic practice published on April 24th 2013 which was highly critical of some of the standards in the cosmetic medicine industry. The report is entitled the “Review of the Regulation of Cosmetic Interventions”.

In 2012 there was a successful prosecution and jailing of an illegal teeth whitening trader. Barrington Armstrong-Thorpe was given a 16 month jail sentence by a judge at Chelmsford Crown Court for illegally selling teeth whitening products.

We are living in austere times and many people are looking at ways of maximising or supplementing their income. It is easy to go on to the internet where you can find lots of companies offering franchise opportunities for teeth whitening or sales opportunities for teeth whitening products and on the surface this can seem like a perfectly legitimate way of making extra money. In the case of Mr Armstrong Thorpe it was deemed to be illegal and I am therefore pleased that the law has finally caught up with him. The government needs to move to the next level following its review of cosmetic practice and aggressively and actively prosecute illegal tooth whitening traders.

There has been a lot of guidance recently about teeth whitening which should hopefully give some clarity around the whole situation. Firstly the General Dental Council (GDC), the organisation which regulates dental professionals and is responsible for protecting the UK public clearly states that applying materials to teeth and carrying out procedures that are supposed to improve the appearance of teeth and also giving clinical advice about these matters is actually the practice of dentistry. The GDC state that this should only be undertaken by dentists or dental hygienists/therapists working to a dentist’s prescription. I support the GDC in its view that the carrying out of dentistry by individuals not registered with them is a criminal offence. This is not about dentists having a monopoly it is about the protection of the public. Good teeth whitening is not just about price. It is about safety, standards and quality.

The most recent important piece of legislation from the government is the Cosmetic Product (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2012. A link to the document is here. This came into force on 31st October 2012. From 31 October 2012 the government has basically fallen into line with a directive issued by the EU.

This means that:

1. Products containing more than 0.1% hydrogen peroxide cannot be provided direct to the consumers or public.

2. Products containing between 0.1% and 6% hydrogen peroxide can only be sold to dental practitioners.

3. These products can only be made available to patients following an examination – by definition that would be a clinical procedure which would have to be undertaken by a dentist. The first session of whitening treatment should be provided by a dentist, or by a hygienist or therapist under supervision of a dentist after which they can be provided to the patient to complete the cycle of use.

4. Products containing between 0.1% and 6% hydrogen peroxide should not be used on under 18s.

5. Products containing over 6% hydrogen peroxide are illegal to use.

Some dentists as an alternative to hydrogen peroxide are using carbamide peroxide and 6% hydrogen peroxide equates to just over 16% of carbamide peroxide.

Many so-called teeth whitening clinics are using products such as chlorine dioxide and sodium perborate. These are not appropriate products for teeth whitening and have strong and serious question marks around safety attached to them. So with so-called teeth whitening clinics, what we are effectively talking about a group of people who are not only illegally practising dentistry, but also selling products that are dangerous for health to a public that is unsuspecting and is looking for what they think is a cheap bargain. Why on earth would people want to compromise their health in this way by using organisations and companies that are providing a service that does not fall within any recognised framework of regulation or scrutiny?

I and my team at Langley Dental Practice, Middleton, Manchester have been offering safe, effective and legal teeth whitening for over 10 years with superb results. I am very critical of the misleading advertising tactics that some of the franchising teeth whitening companies are using to scare patients away from dental practices. The so-called cosmetic teeth whitening companies try and put forward the myth of greedy dentists ripping off the public claiming that we want to charge anything between £350 and £700 for whitening. Here at Langley Dental Practice we start our teeth whitening prices at just £199 for both upper and lower teeth and this includes a full detailed consultation with an experienced British educated, qualified and trained dentist, somebody who is skilled in the art and science of looking after your teeth – not a “cosmetic technician” or “beauty therapist” or even worse somebody working out of the back of a van who comes to your home.

I welcome the fact that there is now greater clarity around the issue of teeth whitening and also that illegal teeth whiteners are now being prosecuted. The government review of cosmetic practice should be a wake up call for all those concerned about illegal and poor practice whether in medicine or dentistry. Everybody is looking for value for money these days but why put a price on your health and take unnecessary risks?