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Bogus dentist convicted after performing root canal therapy without licence

Majid Rahebi, who performed significant dental work on dozens of patients in Sydney until late last year under the guise of being a dentist, has been convicted. (Photograph: Anna Jurkovska/Shutterstock)

Thu. 15. November 2018

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SYDNEY, Australia: A man was recently convicted of falsely representing himself as a dentist and performing invasive procedures, including root canal therapy, as well as consulting with dental patients, at his premises in the Sydney suburb of Guildford West.

In May 2018, Majid Rahebi was charged by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) with 44 counts of falsely representing himself as a registered dentist and 31 counts of performing a restricted dental act. The allegations related to treatments performed between November 2017 and February 2018.

AHPRA confirmed that Rahebi, although registered as a dental technician in Iran, holds no formal dental practice qualifications and had never been licensed as a dentist or any other health practitioner in Australia. Besides performing dental treatments, he administered anaesthetics, despite not having the authority to do so, according to AHPRA.

In late October, Rahebi pleaded guilty to all charges. While the offences do not carry any jail time, he is required to pay over A$60,000 (€38,500) in fines.

In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, AHPRA CEO Martin Fletcher said that the matter was an “extreme example” of unregistered practice. “To represent that you are a registered dental practitioner, operate a business that supports that lie and carry out restricted dental acts that may endanger the public, is not behaviour that goes unchecked,” commented Fletcher on the agency’s response.

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