Illegal dental clinics put patients at risk despite laws, dental federation warns

Members of the Kenya Dental Association protest in Nairobi during a previous demonstration against proposals they said could allow unqualified people to provide dental care services.  [File,Standard]

Illegal dental practice is putting patients at risk worldwide despite most countries having laws regulating dentistry, the FDI World Dental Federation (FDI) has warned.

A new global report by FDI, based on responses from 49 national dental associations, found that 95 per cent of countries have laws regulating dentistry.

Fewer than half of respondents, however, believe those laws are effectively enforced, with 49 per cent calling enforcement effective against 47 per cent who do not.

The report found that 58 per cent of countries had recorded cases in which patients were harmed by illegal dental treatment, while 62 per cent said they lacked reliable data on the scale of the problem.

FDI said unlicensed providers perform procedures ranging from tooth extractions and cosmetic dental treatments to fitting fake braces, exposing patients to severe infections, permanent oral damage and life-threatening complications.

The federation called the trend a growing global health risk driven partly by limited access to affordable, qualified care, and urged governments, regulators and dental associations to strengthen enforcement, improve public awareness and ensure patients receive treatment only from qualified, licensed professionals.

The warning echoes concerns raised in Kenya, where regulators and dentists have repeatedly cautioned the public against unlicensed practitioners and unregistered clinics.

In one of the country's most publicised cases, a Nairobi man, Amos Isoka, died in January after developing severe complications following a tooth extraction at Life Clinic, an unregistered facility in Kawangware.

He had sought treatment for a jaw ache and was charged Sh1,000 for the procedure before developing Ludwig's angina, a life-threatening infection, and dying weeks later at Kenyatta National Hospital despite two surgeries.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) shut down the facility and several others following the case, working with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on a wider crackdown on illegal health facilities. The practitioner involved has not been arrested.

The Kenya Dental Association (KDA) has separately raised concerns over cosmetic dental procedures, including fake braces marketed on social media, warning such treatments can cause permanent damage when performed by unqualified individuals.

The association has also clashed with KMPDC over draft guidance it says could allow personnel without dental training to undertake complex procedures that should remain the preserve of licensed dentists.

KMPDC advises Kenyans to verify a practitioner's credentials before treatment.