Woman who offered dental services without licence admonished

A woman who admitted practising dentistry without a licence in a Dundee beauty salon has been admonished.

Leanne Couzens claimed to be a dental hygienist and offered tooth-whitening procedures, despite not being registered with the General Dental Council (GDC).

The 36-year-old told a potential customer, during a consultation at Doll Face Beauty Salon, that she had 12 years’ experience working as a dental hygienist.

However, the reality was that the GDC had removed Couzens from the register in August 2012 after she failed to pay her fees, meaning she was no longer legally entitled to carry out dental procedures.

Couzens admitted that, on June 26 last year, at Doll Face Beauty Salon, Reform Street, while not being a registered dentist or registered dental care professional, she practised or held herself out to be prepared to practise dentistry, whether directly or by implication.

At Dundee Sheriff Court on Wednesday, Sheriff Tom Hughes stated he had decided a fine was not appropriate as Couzens had run into financial difficulties due to not being able to pursue her chosen career.