Dentist 'made his patients suffer'

Dirk van Moerbeke was formerly suspended from his position at the Silk Dental Practice, in Ninfield Road, by Bexhill and Rother Primary Care Trust in March 2004 following a string of complaints.

An enquiry heard allegations van Moerbeke gave shoddy treatment to 15 patients both in Bexhill and at an Eastbourne surgery, costing them thousands of pounds to repair.

He is also accused of claiming money off the Dental Practice Board (DPB) for work he did not carry out.

One patient said his treatment left her 'looking like a horse.'

Another claimed they were frightened of going to see the dentist.

Zelda Hamilton-Smith, a patient at the Silk Dental Surgery for 37 years, said she was told to "see a plastic surgeon" after complaining about her new dentures.

Mrs Hamilton - Smith told the hearing she was fitted with a pair that didn't fit and gave her a severe lisp.

"All I wanted was a smile," she said. "I was very upset, they were very narrow and when I smiled they fell out. He said if I didn't like the way my face looked I should get plastic surgery."

Mrs Hamilton - Smith said she was made to sign a form stating she accepted the dentures, but when returning to the surgery with a friend to get her 685 back, was asked to leave.

Van Moerbeke refused to forward her dental records and ignored nine requests from his professional body for Mrs Hamilton - Smith's records.

A woman, referred to as patient G, told the hearing six veneers she had fitted started to fall out.

Her statement said: "From the start the veneers looked awful and made me look like a horse."

The 52-year-old was sent a cheque refunding some of her crowns, but her husband phoned the surgery when the veneers continued to give his wife trouble. Van Moerbeke is said to have told him: "You people want a private job on the NHS," before slamming the phone down.

The committee also heard expert evidence from Dr Julian Scott about poor root canal treatment van Moerbeke had carried out. One patient, a man in his 70s, had a piece of broken dental instrument left in the root of a tooth van Moerbeke had been drilling.

Dr Scott said: "Clearly the instrument is a risk factor for that patient's tooth, there's no doubt whatsoever.

"It's infected material, the dentist can't get it out, so the piece of broken instrument has to remain inside."

Alison Foster QC, for the General Dental Council, said van Moerbeke had a "brusque and unprofessional" manner.

Van Moerbeke, of Eastbourne, has admitted a number of charges, including he was rude to patients.

He denies claims to the DPB were dishonest, though in some cases they were inappropriate.

It was reported that when he was suspended from the Silk Dental Surgery and the Apple Dental Surgery, Eastbourne, some 3,500 patients had to look elsewhere for treatment.

Giving evidence yesterday, Dr David Kramer said he had studied the records of the 15 patients and found flaws in his work. One patient had paid hundreds of pounds for bridge work she did not need. He slammed the dentist's 'sloppy' record keeping.

Van Moerbeke is attending the hearing, which continues.