European Alert Mechanism Launched to Protect Against ‘Unsafe’ Dentists

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A dental alert system has been launched to protect patients across Europe from potentially unsafe dental professionals.

The aim of the system is to create more transparency in European dentistry and give dental regulators the opportunity to recognise dental professionals who might have been banned when working in other countries in Europe.

Michaela ONeill, president of the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT) said it’s important that patients know they can trust dental professionals to provide the best possible treatments. She sees the system leading to higher standards of dentistry, meaning happier patients overall and she also believes dental professionals could benefit too as it will alert them to any problems potential employers might have within Europe.

In order to help identify restricted dental professionals, regulators will have access to personal details such as names, birthplace and date of birth. Alerts will also include the period that the professional’s restriction is applied for and the date the decision was made.

Dr Nigel Carter OBE, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation said “dental tourism” is a rising trend and it brings many pitfalls along with it. He said patients enter dental tourism facing huge risks because they don’t know whether it is safe, what the credentials of the dental professionals are and what their rights are should something go wrong.

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