Kenyan-Born Dentist Beatrice Luciola Suspended from Practicing in the UK after Patients' Outcry

A Kenyan-born dentist has been temporarily stopped from practicing in the United Kingdom. Dr Beatrice Luciola Jepkemoi was suspended from practicing dentistry by the Interim Orders Committee for one and a half years after numerous complaints from patients.

Patients who filed complaints against the Kenyan doctor said she had recommended wrong procedures and prescriptions. Luciola, who resides in Bexton Lane, Knutsford in the UK, has been operating the Beyond Dental Care clinic for half a decade now.

UK's General Dental Council (GDC) was scheduled to listen the case against her on May 4th at the Two East Poultry Avenue, Smithfield, London, but imposed the suspension on her after the hearing was adjourned.

Most patients who filed their complaints with GDC between February and April, questioned orthodontic dental procedures carried out by her. It was also alleged that she fled to Kenya after the complaints and couldn't be reached.  

However, speaking to Daily Nation, she refuted the claims, noting that she traveled to Kenya because her father was ill and will be going back to the UK.

Her lawyer, Bryan Muindi said Dr Luciola was “in Kenya on compassionate leave tending to her ailing father”. 

 “Our client owns and runs Beyond Orthodontics and has practiced as a specialist orthodontist of good repute for 19 years in the United Kingdom…” said a letter from Muindi's legal firm.

A suspension letter issued to her on May 15th, 2018 and posted on the General Dental Council’s website reads," The gist of their complaints is that Ms Luciola took advance payment in the sum of several thousand pounds for orthodontic dental treatment from them without starting and/or completing the treatment."

Dr Luciola first worked at the Manchester Dental Hospital as a newly qualified specialist orthodontist in 2003 before she opened her own facility in 2012.