A dentist who admitted to writing ‘inappropriate and racially-motivated’ comments about Indian dentistry has been erased from the register.
The clinician made the comments in emails to colleagues and former colleagues, writing ‘I don’t want to be connected to Indian dentistry’.
According to a hearing by the General Dental Council’s Professional Conduct Committee, they also said they felt ‘low’ having their name connected to a particular practice that had employees with Indian heritage.
‘I noticed my name [redacted] dentist in Google is connected with [redacted] practices. I feel low with this connection as [redacted] is NHS low quality service and this is Indian company! It is a shame to me [sic],’ it read.
The individual also said there is a ‘huge difference’ between their work and that of clinicians with Indian nationality or heritage.
‘Lack of appreciation’ around misconduct
During the hearing, the dentist said they had acted ‘impulsively, irrationally and out of frustration’ and that the comments, which were made in August and September 2023, did not reflect their true beliefs.
They also apologised and added that they were ‘committed to approaching similar situations with more care and professionalism in the future’.
‘Your misconduct, and your lack of a proper understanding of it, is fundamentally incompatible with continued registration’
General Dental Council – Professional Conduct Committee hearing
However, the committee concluded that the dentist does not ‘have a proper, thoroughgoing and longstanding appreciation of the very serious nature’ of their misconduct. Culpability, they argue, had been downplayed, with the clinician referring to the comments as ‘illogical’, ‘nonsense’ and ‘silly’.
Considering the evidence, the committee found that it could not identify workable conditions that would meet the public protection requirements that it identified and with which it is satisfied the dentist would comply.
It directed that the dentist is erased from the register, adding: ‘Your misconduct, and your lack of a proper understanding of it, is fundamentally incompatible with continued registration.’
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