Victorian man pleads guilty to pretending to be a registered dentist

Victorian man, Mr Adel Abraham, last week pleaded guilty to 12 counts of carrying out dental acts that are restricted by law and one count of pretending to be a registered dentist.

Some dental acts can only legally be performed by those registered in the dental and medical professions, and other groups, in particular circumstances. These are described in the National Law. Restricted dental acts include those act that result in irreversible changes to teeth.

The National Law protects the public by ensuring that only registered health practitioners who are suitably trained and qualified can use protected titles such as 'dentist'. The law allows for penalties for falsely using protected titles or holding yourself out to be a registered practitioner.

Mr Abraham had been a registered dentist until October 2011 when the Dental Council of NSW cancelled his registration due to previous convictions. Resulting from these convictions, Mr Abraham was on a good behaviour bond when he continued to practise over a six month period while unregistered and treated 15 patients over this time.

Convicted of all 12 charges on 18 September at the Magistrates' Court of Victoria, Mr Abraham was ordered to pay $20,000 plus costs of $7,829. Mr Abraham lodged an appeal against the sentence, which will be heard in the County Court at Melbourne on 7 November 2014.

All of Australia's 619,000 registered health practitioners appear on the national register of practitioners. If a person does not appear on the register, they are not registered to practise in a regulated health profession in Australia.