The importance of seeking an accredited professional when in need of emergency dentistry or other oral healthcare has been highlighted following a case in the US.
Julio de la Fuente, 54 and from Texas, was arrested over the weekend for practising dentistry without a licence.
His patients had complained about the poor dental work they had received and police were called to visit his surgery.
Although he told officers he had a degree in dentistry from the University of Michigan, calls to the institution revealed he had no such qualification.
He was also not registered by the State Board of Dental Examiners and had already been ordered to cease practising last year.
Mr de la Fuente has since been banned from carrying out dental work and has been released on bail.
Earlier this month, an unlicensed dentist from San Francisco was also prosecuted after carrying out dental implants and emergency dentistry unlawfully.
Mario Alfredo Pacheco had caused infections in some cases due to his shoddy work, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
