Police investigate bogus dentists in Ontario
Police are investigating bogus dentists in Ontario following a report in The Star newspaper.
Reporters from the newspaper gathered information about individuals posing as qualified dentists in the area; the bogus dentists are apparently running dental surgeries from basements and bedrooms in the area. The dentists offer a range of treatments, including extractions, fillings and cleaning treatments and tend to target the poor and those who do not have English as a first language. The dentists are using dirty instruments and the risk of infection is extremely high.
Following the reports in the press, the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario has asked police to investigate the allegations. Illegal, underground dentistry is potentially very dangerous, as there is no sterilisation process and patients are at risk of infectious diseases including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV.
The College is currently investigating three men, Michael Genkin, Yosef Istzer and Aleksander Zanger; none of the men are legally allowed to practise dentistry in Canada. Genkin, who was confronted by a Star reporter, said he was fully aware that was he was doing was illegal; however, he felt he was helping people out by offering them low prices.
Underground dentistry is booming in Canada and the USA, with thousands of people struggling to afford regular dental treatment; people are often faced with the dilemma of choosing between illegal dental care or no dental care at all and many choose the former. Police are clamping down on bogus dentists and are eager to raise awareness of the dangers of bogus dentistry.
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