DENTISTS are being reminded of the risks of buying counterfeit dental equipment.
The General Dental Council has issued a warning to all registrants following the recent campaign by the British Dental Industry Association (BDIA) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) which seized 12,000 bogus pieces of equipment in six months.
The regulator said dentists must follow appropriate procedures when purchasing equipment and highlighted the serious health and safety consequences of poor quality workmanship and standards.
And even equipment that appears genuine can be fake. They said: “Registrants should be mindful that counterfeit equipment can look like a genuine product and even carry 'CE approval' markings, but can be potentially dangerous to patients and dental staff using them and they should carry out appropriate checks to ensure the products they are purchasing or commissioning are legitimate.”
Dentists’ duty to ensure they buy legitimate products is underlined in the GDC’s guidance Standards for the dental team, which states: “You must find out about laws and regulations which apply to your clinical practice, your premises and your obligations as an employer and you must follow them at all times.”
Suspicious or counterfeit dental equipment should be reported via the MHRA or BDIA websites.
This page was correct at the time of publication. Any guidance is intended as general guidance for members only. If you are a member and need specific advice relating to your own circumstances, please contact one of our advisers.
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