Czech police have detained a family of three accused of running a fake dental clinic without licences or training, a case that’s made international headlines amid a reported rise in bogus clinics in the country.
According to a police statement released Wednesday, dozens of people were treated at the unlicensed clinic, which operated out of the family’s home in Havlíčkův Brod, about 100 kilometres southeast of Prague. The family reportedly earned four million Czech koruna (about $185,000) before being arrested earlier this month, the Associated Press reported.
The BBC said the 22-year-old son performed procedures such as tooth extractions, complex root canals and anaesthesia administration—all learned online. His 50-year-old mother, a nurse by training, acted as his assistant and provided materials. The 44-year-old father produced prosthetic devices.
All three pleaded guilty to multiple charges and face up to eight years in prison. Police did not say whether any patients filed complaints.
Related story: Police: Unlicensed ‘dentist’ arrested in New York after patients suffer injuries
Related story: Three women sue estate, practice of dentist who died by suicide after hiding camera in clinic bathroom
Fake dentist cases on the rise
The case comes amid rising concern about access to dental care in the Czech Republic. Roman Šmucler, president of the Czech Dental Chamber, told local media that roughly 10 fake dentist cases are reported annually in the country.
“I have two more submissions today, so today there are three cases in the Czech Republic,” Šmucler told Radiožurnál, according to the BBC.
The regional newspaper Deník reported the family’s clinic came to light after a dentist was approached by a patient suffering complications from previous treatment.
Radio Prague International cited a study by the Czech Dental Chamber predicting that the number of dentists in the country could fall by one-third over the next 15 years. In response, the Czech parliament passed a bill last year allowing dentists from non-EU countries to practise in the country.
Source link