A Sutherland-based dentist who was suspended after admitting carrying out an unnecessary root canal treatment has been allowed to return to practice.
Violeta Prodanova was suspended by the General Dental Council (GDC) in March this year in connection with her work at ADC Golspie Dental Practice between March and November 2012.
The watchdog decided to lift her suspension following a review hearing last week after finding that a repetition of misconduct was “highly unlikely to be repeated”.
When reaching the decision to suspend Ms Prodanova, the GDC found she carried out a root canal treatment and crown preparation on a patient, identified only as Patient A.
She started the process in May 2012 despite not taking account of the patient’s medical history.
She admitted not taking radiographs of any “diagnostic value” following the completion of the root canal and “without clinical justification”.
In October 2012 the patient returned to the practice complaining of pain and sensitivity.
Ms Prodanova admitted not carrying out or recording any investigation into the cause of the pain and prescribed antibiotics when it was not “clinically indicated”.
Patient A again returned to the practice in November 2012 and Ms Prodanova carried out another scan.
However, she then backdated the scan from its actual date to June 6, 2012.
In reaching the decision to suspend her, the GDC said Ms Prodanova’s conduct was intentionally misleading and dishonest.
Last week’s review hearing found that her fitness to practice remains impaired but there had been sufficient improvement to allow the suspension to be revoked.
The dentist has been unable to practice for about two years because of the suspension and “significant” injuries sustained in a serious road accident when she was hit by a van while cycling.
The hearing found that this meant that remediation of her clinical failings were deemed “partial and incomplete” despite “considerable and commendable” learning undertaken by Ms Prodanova
However, the hearing found that the dishonesty considered at the previous hearing had been dealt with, with the panel finding that it was unlikely to be repeated.
She will be allowed to return to work with a number of conditions attached to her registration.
These include working under supervision, reports being submitted to the GDC every three months on her work and regular audits being carried out on her records by her supervisor.
Ms Prodanova declined to comment last night.