Fake dentist charged by Czech police after treating dozens of patients

A fake dentist and two assistants who treated dozens of patients after learning the trade on the internet have been charged in the Czech Republic.

The three family members opened a fully equipped dental practice, without a licence or the necessary expertise, in the central Czech town of Havlíčkův Brod in 2023, police said on Wednesday.

A 22-year-old man posing as a dentist provided checkups but also extracted teeth, gave root canal treatments and applied anaesthesia, drawing on information obtained online.

A 50-year-old woman worked as a nurse, while a 44-year-old man, who provided the premises, produced prosthetic devices for patients.

In a statement, police said: “The woman, who worked in the health sector, provided anaesthetics but also other dental material to which she had access, such as fillings, cleaning powder, glue, impression material and much more.”

Asked by AFP if the patients had complained, the police spokesperson Michaela Lebrova declined to comment.

The illegal clinic treated dozens of patients and made 4m Czech koruna (£138,000), police said.

Police detained the trio earlier this month and charged them with conducting illegal business, money laundering, attempted battery, drug dealing and theft.

All three had a clean criminal record. They have been provisionally released after pleading guilty and face up to eight years in prison.

Due to a shortage of dentists, the Czech parliament last year passed a bill facilitating the employment of dentists from countries outside the EU, of which the Czech Republic is a member.