Orthodontist sold on used kids' dental braces

soundbyte

This is absolutely disgusting. Imagine having someone else's braces in your mouth. And the guy managed to keep his job? Stay classy HSE.

A rogue HSE teeth specialist has left a sour taste in the mouths of potentially hundreds of kids – by taking dental braces that have been worn for up to two years and selling them on for re-use.

And when caught by bosses, the greedy orthodontist – who is understood to have been earning around €140,000 per year from his job – was moved to another department.

Link: http://www.connachttribune.ie/galway-news/item/1817-rogue-dentist-leaves-a-bad-taste

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

well i assume he washed them first..

josip

Next time I go to a restaurant I'm going to insist on new forks and spoons.

SEPT 23 1989

moved to another department:rolleyes:

mikom

Brace yourself, the puns are coming.......

frag420

He should get a plaque for being so frugal!!

ballsymchugh

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

well i assume he washed them first..

wiped them on his sleeve.

Zombienosh

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

well i assume he washed them first..

spit shine.

anncoates

Sure, would they know the difference unless they were told?

The Dom

soundbyte wrote: »

Imagine having someone else's braces in your mouth.

Be nothing on it that mightn't also be on a tongue but yet people have no problem getting others to stick those in their mouth.

Lucky beggers.


EDIT: Have just realised now that it could be constred that was referring to childer's tongues. For the record. I was doing no such thing.

seamus

To be fair, if they're properly cleaned and treated, there's no reason they couldn't be reused. Though it's probably in contravention of some medical rules on re-use of equipment. It's quite safe and sanitary though.

Really the issue here is that he was selling on HSE property for his own gain instead of destroying it, and the private orthodontist on the far side was presumbaly charging his patients the cost of new braces.

castletownman

The rogue was probably importing lidocaine as a front for importing drugs too

Neyite

seamus wrote: »

To be fair, if they're properly cleaned and treated, there's no reason they couldn't be reused. Though it's probably in contravention of some medical rules on re-use of equipment. It's quite safe and sanitary though.

Really the issue here is that he was selling on HSE property for his own gain instead of destroying it, and the private orthodontist on the far side was presumbaly charging his patients the cost of new braces.

The HSE wont reuse crutches.

Kidchameleon

castletownman wrote: »

The rogue was probably importing lidocaine as a front for importing drugs too

He'd be wise to pack his suitcase and leave the country...

smileyj1987

Ah come on don't give the bloke a had time with money saving measures like that we could be rich again soon

josip

smileyj1987 wrote: »

Ah come on don't give the bloke a had time with money saving measures like that he could be rich again soon

FYP

Stheno

Neyite wrote: »

The HSE wont reuse crutches.

That's because the rubber tips on the bottom wear down to half nothing and it's the crutch equivalent of driving on bald tyres.

I was getting treatment and on crutches last year for 4.5 months and went through four pairs due to wear on the tips

Neyite

Stheno wrote: »

That's because the rubber tips on the bottom wear down to half nothing and it's the crutch equivalent of driving on bald tyres.

I was getting treatment and on crutches last year for 4.5 months and went through four pairs due to wear on the tips

Makes sense. I'd say braces would have a bit of wear and tear too.

seamus

Stheno wrote: »

That's because the rubber tips on the bottom wear down to half nothing and it's the crutch equivalent of driving on bald tyres.

I was getting treatment and on crutches last year for 4.5 months and went through four pairs due to wear on the tips

http://www.themobilityshop.ie/rubber-ferrules.html

No need to replace the whole crutch.

ballsymchugh

Neyite wrote: »

Makes sense. I'd say braces would have a bit of wear and tear too.

no, it's purely hygiene. normal brackets for train tracks don't wear down. some of the modern fandangled ones might do. the HSE wouldn't be using those.

Stheno

seamus wrote: »

http://www.themobilityshop.ie/rubber-ferrules.html

No need to replace the whole crutch.

I know, and each time I'd to shell out for a new pair, I asked why I couldn't just get new tips, and was told it was not policy as there was no guarantee they would be safe as they could not be sure they would be suitable for my particular crutches.

Bit of a racket

tin79

No worse than using cutlery in a restaurant that has probably been in hundreds of other mouths.

smileyj1987

Stheno wrote: »

I know, and each time I'd to shell out for a new pair, I asked why I couldn't just get new tips, and was told it was not policy as there was no guarantee they would be safe as they could not be sure they would be suitable for my particular crutches.

Bit of a racket

That's actually a great point on waste of money that's hitting your pocket . Re tip the crutches and be done with it . Same goes for things like braces and that sterilise them for a few days and re use them . My bro had to get braces last year and they cost 3000 . If a cheaper way to do it could have been done I'm sure my parents would have shelled out for the cheaper option first

UCDVet

I have no problem with used braces. We reuse all sorts of stuff, including medical equipment used in operations. So long as they are fit for service and cleaned properly, there is no problem.

Assuming it was disclosed that they were used. If he was selling used items and calling them new/charging a new price - that is fraud and he should be sent to jail.

Sleepy

Surely just the tips can be replaced though Steno? We don't scrap a car because the tyres wear out (much as I'm sure ISME would love us to). It seems idiotic to throw out something that can potentially be re-used.

I thought braces had to be specifically moulded to one's mouth? Or is that just retainers? I can certainly remember having full mouth casts taken when I had them as a teenager.

CrazyRabbit

Jesus...what's next...reusing dead people's organs by putting them inside other people?

Neyite

UCDVet wrote: »

I have no problem with used braces. We reuse all sorts of stuff, including medical equipment used in operations. So long as they are fit for service and cleaned properly, there is no problem.

Assuming it was disclosed that they were used. If he was selling used items and calling them new/charging a new price - that is fraud and he should be sent to jail.

Also, they werent his to sell. They belonged to the HSE, whether they were due to be incinerated or not. So theft as well as fraud.

I'd be fcuking raging if I had paid out thousands for expensive braces to a private orthodontist and found out that they were charging me for new ones but really using old ones for a fraction of the cost.

No problem with using second hand stuff, but charge second hand prices too, and be upfront about it.

If we went into a shop and paid for a brand new phone or laptop, only to discover that it had been used for up to 2 years by someone else, rescued from scrap and sold to you for the full price again. you'd be raging because you were duped. No different to this case.

Artful_Badger

Instead following standard procedure and destroying the braces, he effectively stole them and sold them to private practitioners to pocket the cash.

What am I missing ? Why are so many defending this rat bastard ?

AngeGal

Artful_Badger wrote: »

Instead following standard procedure and destroying the braces, he effectively stole them and sold them to private practitioners to pocket the cash.

What am I missing ? Why are so many defending this rat bastard ?

Don't understand either, the guy needs to be fired immediately. It's abhorrent, the most suprising part for me was that it happened in 2006 and he was discipline but not fired, do ya need to shoot someone to get fired or what?! The dentist who bought them should face severe sanctions too, absolutely disgusting!

Boombastic

another loveable rogue in the hse, lets move him to another department...

professore

AngeGal wrote: »

Don't understand either, the guy needs to be fired immediately. It's abhorrent, the most suprising part for me was that it happened in 2006 and he was discipline but not fired, do ya need to shoot someone to get fired or what?! The dentist who bought them should face severe sanctions too, absolutely disgusting!

That's the nub of the matter for me, and the whole problem with the public sector. Doesn't matter how badly you screw up, unless you kill someone, maybe, you will be sacked. Even then you get to keep your pension. If that one small change was made, that incompetence or fraud was met with sacking, it would make life better for everyone, including honest hard working employees.

twowheelsonly

I believe that the issue with the crutches, and other 2nd hand equipment, is down to litigation.
With new crutches the supplier is liable for them being 'fit for purpose'.
If they were to be re-issued (as they used to be fadó fadó..) the HSE become liable for their condition and would have to have each pair checked and dumped or repaired before re-issuing them. I presume that somebody decided along the way that it would be more cost effective to issue new ones rather than pay someone in the stores to check each returned pair.
BTW, apart from the rubber tips they'd also have to check the springs, handles and forearm grip, sharp edges as well as checking the metal tubing for any sign of damage.

IMO the two dentists are fraudsters and scumbags and should be treated as such by the courts. No personal objection to re-using the braces though as long as it's all above board.

twowheelsonly

professore wrote: »

That's the nub of the matter for me, and the whole problem with the public sector. Doesn't matter how badly you screw up, unless you kill someone, maybe, you will be sacked. Even then you get to keep your pension. If that one small change was made, that incompetence or fraud was met with sacking, it would make life better for everyone, including honest hard working employees.

I'd agree with you that this guy should have been sacked - and himself and his friend that was selling them on should have been dragged through the courts. I've seen people sacked - in the Public Sector!!! - for less. Obviously depends on who you are though and how high up the ladder you are.
Keeping the Pension I actually have no problem with as long as it's recompense with your contributions and not the full pension. Very hard to take a pension off someone if they've contributed to it. Legal minefield I'd imagine.

Killer Wench

Sleepy wrote: »

Surely just the tips can be replaced though Steno? We don't scrap a car because the tyres wear out (much as I'm sure ISME would love us to). It seems idiotic to throw out something that can potentially be re-used.

I thought braces had to be specifically moulded to one's mouth? Or is that just retainers? I can certainly remember having full mouth casts taken when I had them as a teenager.

Yeah, it should only be the brackets that can be used at the moment. I have braces at the moment and the chains and wires seem to be adjusted based on one's mouth.

WoollyRedHat

This is another part of the crony culture, what he was doing was theft, yet they just deflect attention and there is no punishment, ergo nothing to discentivise someone else from doing it. The Irish loveable rogue.

Whoever made the decision to simply move him to another department should be fired. The orthodontist should follow him out the door, and be ordered to pay back the money he wrongly gained.
But this is utopian fantasies I'm engaging on so I digress.

Are they really that expensive to produce? Thought the expense came from the application of them.

Legs.Eleven

I wouldn't care as long as they were cleaned and sterilised tbh. More environmentally friendly anyway. Makes sense if you ask me. This modern obsession with having everything brand new is not sustainable.

Neslea

Well, there are a number of dental appliances used today. But braces are still the primary means for straightening teeth and correcting misaligned bites. Braces work by applying pressure to the teeth and jaws to move them into a desired position.

Boombastic

Neslea wrote: »

Well, there are a number of dental appliances used today. But braces are still the primary means for straightening teeth and correcting misaligned bites. Braces work by applying pressure to the teeth and jaws to move them into a desired position.

Thanks for the information. And here was me thinking they were for keeping your trousers up!