has been ordered to pay a total of £ 1,609 by Llandudno Magistrates ’ Court for carrying out illegal tooth whitening , after a successful prosecution by the GDC . Jane Taylor , of the Skin Within clinic in Colwyn Bay , pleaded guilty to one charge of unlawfully practising dentistry . The magistrates imposed a 12-month conditional discharge as well as ordering Ms . Taylor to pay a £ 20 victim surcharge , £ 189 in compensation to the victim and £ 1,400 in costs to the GDC – a total of £ 1,609 .
This offence relates to an incident on 18 April 2016 , where Ms Taylor carried out tooth whitening on a 23-year-old female and charged her £ 89 for the treatment , despite the fact that Ms . Taylor is not and has never been a qualified dental care professional .
Following the treatment , the victim experienced pain and sensitivity to her teeth for several weeks and was forced to seek help from a qualified and registered dentist . After examining her , the dentist confirmed that the victim had been suffering from a pre-existing condition and that this had been exacerbated by the illegal tooth whitening treatment . She noted that the victim was an obvious patient who should not have been offered tooth whitening due to her pre-existing periodontal disease .
Problems in London – 24 November 2016 A London woman pleaded guilty to offering illegal tooth whitening and falsely claiming to be a dental nurse , following a prosecution by the GDC . Amy Laws was given a two-year conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £ 365 in GDC costs and a £ 20 victim surcharge after appearing at Bromley Magistrates ’ Court . She was charged with three counts under the Dentists Act 1984 relating to services she offered in Orpington , Kent .
Ms Laws was offering tooth whitening services to members of the public and charging for treatments while claiming to be a dental nurse – a protected title – despite not being on the register of dental care professionals . She had previously been a registered dental nurse but was removed from the register in 2009 .
The full charges were as follows : Charge 1 - Unlawfully practising dentistry , namely tooth whitening contrary to Section 38 ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) of the Dentists Act 1984 . Charge 2 - Unlawfully using the title ‘ Dental Nurse ’ contrary to Section 39 ( 2A ) and ( 3 ) of the Dentists Act 1984 . Charge 3 - Unlawfully carrying on the business of dentistry contrary to Section 41 ( 1 ) and ( 1B ) of the Dentists Act 1984 .
Unhygienic Premises in Hitchin – 18 November 2016 A man from Hitchin , Hertfordshire has been ordered to pay more than £ 6,500 after pleading guilty to three charges relating to the unlawful practice of dentistry . Appearing at Stevenage Magistrates ’ Court , Robert Webb , 60 , was fined £ 4,500 - £ 1,500 for each offence – and was also ordered to pay a £ 150 victim surcharge and £ 1,883.18 in costs to the GDC – a total of £ 6,533.18 .
Mr Webb had been previously qualified and registered as a dental technician with the GDC but was removed from the register on 28 November 2014 for failing to adhere to his Continuing Professional Development requirements . Subsequently the GDC was informed that Mr Webb was offering to provide dentures directly to the public at Dentures Direct in Hitchin .
During an investigation , Mr Webb offered to take impressions and fit a new set of dentures for investigators for the sum of £ 650 . He also referred to himself as a ‘ Clinical Dental Technician ’ – which is a protected title and , since he was removed from the register , was misleading and unlawful . The investigators also noted that the premises , where Mr Webb worked alone , were very dirty , covered in a thick layer of dust and had cages containing several hedgehogs next to the treatment area .
Charges in full : Charge 1 - On 1 June 2016 , Robert Webb , who is not a registered dentist or dental care professional , did unlawfully hold himself out as being prepared to practise dentistry at Dentures Direct , 27-28 Sun Street , Hitchin , Hertfordshire , SG5 1AH . Contrary to Section 38 ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) of the Dentists Act 1984 Charge 2 - On 1 June 2016 , Robert Webb , who is not a registered dentist or dental care professional , did unlawfully use the title ‘ Clinical Dental Technician ’ at Dentures Direct , 27-28 Sun Street , Hitchin , Hertfordshire , SG5 1AH . Contrary to Section 39 ( 2A ) and ( 3 ) of the Dentists Act 1984 Charge 4 - On or about May - June 2016 , Robert Webb , who is not a registered dentist or dental care professional , did unlawfully carry on the business of dentistry at Dentures Direct , 27-28 Sun Street , Hitchin , Hertfordshire , SG5 1AH . Contrary to Section 41 ( 1 ) and ( 1B ) of the Dentists Act 1984
Problems North of the Border - 17 November 2016 A Glasgow woman has been fined £ 500 after pleading guilty to offering dental services to the public without being registered or legally allowed to do so . Charlene Caldwell of Patrick , pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court in a prosecution brought by the GDC . She had been charged under the Dentists Act 1984 , which prohibits practising as a dentist while not on the GDC ’ s official register of all dental professionals in the UK . Ms Caldwell had previously been registered with the GDC as a dental nurse but she was taken off the register in August 2013 after failing to pay the annual fee that all dental professionals must pay to legally practise in the UK . When the GDC became aware that Ms Caldwell was still working as a dental nurse , it sent her two warning letters . This failed to have any effect – resulting in a prosecution that began in January 2016 .
Problems in Wootton Bassett – 7 November 2016 A Wiltshire man has been ordered to pay a £ 2,000 fine after being found guilty of another instance of illegal tooth whitening , despite several previous convictions and warnings on this issue . Jason Edworthy of Wootton Bassett , was prosecuted by the GDC after it was made aware by a patient that he had been carrying out this service once more despite not being a registered dental professional . Mr Edworthy was also ordered to pay a £ 120 victim surcharge and full costs to the GDC of £ 1280 .
The patient arranged an appointment for teeth whitening for 5 February 2016 due to the price being quoted (£ 175 ) being much cheaper than her local dentists . Despite being told she had sensitive teeth , Mr Edworthy undertook several procedures – such as placing fingers into her mouth and applying a whitening gel to her teeth – and promised good results for the treatment .
After paying for the service , the patient was disappointed with the outcome and undertook further research into Jason Edworthy . She found he was not registered with the GDC and had been prosecuted before , pleading guilty to two offences relating to tooth whitening in January 2014 . The complainant also discovered Mr Edworthy had been the subject of a BBC Inside Out West investigation which had aired in February 2016 , highlighting that he was still providing his illegal service despite the previous conviction .
Two offences in Bexley - 2 November 2016 A woman has been found guilty of two charges related to an illegal tooth-whitening service that caused significant harm to a customer , following a successful prosecution by the GDC . Abigail Bremner was sentenced to a two-year conditional discharge , ordered to pay £ 500 in victim compensation and £ 1,000 in costs to the GDC after being found guilty at Bexley Magistrates ’ Court . Her charges relate to the ‘ Smile Bright ’ service in Belvedere and she was prosecuted after the GDC was made aware of a patient who had experienced significant harm following treatment by the defendant .
The victim described how the treatment immediately led to her lips becoming very uncomfortable , with sharp pain in her gums and teeth . Despite being assured this was ‘ normal ’, the victim subsequently experienced swollen , painful gums and blistered lips . It took six weeks for the blisters to subside . The tooth whitening was carried out in the kitchen of the home address of Ms Bremner . The victim noted that Ms Bremner used equipment that did not appear to be properly sterilised . Passing sentence , the Magistrate noted that Abigail Bremner ’ s treatment had led to “ significant hurt and significant pain caused . Not even a strong painkiller helped . She couldn ’ t eat or drink for days .” u
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