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LONDON, UK: The General Dental Council (GDC), the regulatory body for dental professionals in the UK, has suspended a dentist for professional misconduct after a public hearing. He allegedly did not treat his patients and staff with respect, and failed to maintain appropriate levels of infection control and hygiene.
On 3 March, the GDC’s Professional Conduct Committee held an inquiry against Dr Alfons Andreas Striebich, a dentist of German origin who worked in a practice in Southampton in the UK.
According to a report released after the hearing, the dentist was rude and dismissive towards patients, and children in particular, and delayed starting appointments unnecessarily. In addition, the investigators stated that did not inform his patients appropriately and failed to discuss treatment options and cost of treatment with patients. Striebich also prescribed antibiotics without clinical justification and in inappropriate doses, and failed to keep accurate and complete dental records.
Interviews with staff members established that Striebich was also rude and dismissive towards the dental nurses. His female colleagues reported that he often clicked his fingers at them and talked down to the nurses. The GDC said that such behaviour demonstrated a fundamental lack of respect and understanding, and was incompatible with dental team work.
The nurses also reported that Striebich did not wash his hands adequately between patients and did not re-sheath sharps after use, placing patients in significant danger of actual harm, according to the GDC.
The dentist had been suspended before, from October 2010 to January 2011, because colleagues had raised a wide variety of concerns about his behaviour, including Striebich’s attitude towards both colleagues and patients, failure to obtain informed consent to treatment from patients and disregard for routine procedures to prevent cross-infection.
Unless Striebich exercises his right of appeal, his name will be struck off the register in approximately 28 days’ time, the GDC stated.
By law, all professionals must be registered with the GDC to work in the UK.
