A hearing was held on October 5, 2018, to determine if a dental assistant was guilty of unprofessional conduct as defined in the Health Professions Act after the dental assistant was found guilty of Criminal Code of Canada and Controlled Drug and Substances Act violations.
The following charges of alleged unprofessional conduct were considered by the Hearing Tribunal:
- The member has been found guilty of eight (8) Criminal Code and Controlled Drug and Substances Act convictions as follows:
- Breach of Recognizance – six convictions.
- Uttering a forged document – one conviction;
- Possession of a controlled substance – one conviction;
- On or about June of 2017 and without the knowledge or consent of her dentist employer:
- That the member prepared a fraudulent letter to the employer of her husband concerning dental treatment allegedly provided by the dentist employer to her husband (the “Letter”); and
- That the member falsified the dentist employer’s signature on the Letter;
all of which is conduct that harms the integrity of the dental assisting profession.
The hearing proceeded as a consent hearing and the Hearing Tribunal accepted the Admission of Guilt, the Agreed Statement of Facts and the Joint Submission on Penalties. The dental assistant is required to pay fines in the amount of $250.00 for each of the two findings of unprofessional conduct, complete the College Ethics Module and undergo an assessment to determine fitness to practice. The dental assistant’s practice permit is suspended until the assessment confirms the dental assistant is fit to practice. The dental assistant’s work performance will be monitored for a period of 24 months following the return to practice.