Dental clinic fined Ksh.2M over ‘Dr’ title used by unqualified staff

The disciplinary action followed a complaint by the Kenya Dental Association (KDA) over promotional material in which the practitioner was introduced using the title “Dr.”

The clinic had advertised services including dental implants, orthodontic treatment and other restorative procedures.

In General Case No. 24 of 2025, the KDA told the KMPDC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee that the matter was “not an isolated question of nomenclature but a matter of public protection”.

The association argued that a member of the public viewing the advert “could reasonably understand the person featured as the doctor responsible for or competent to deliver the advertised services.”

When the Council contacted the clinic in August 2025, it confirmed that the practitioner was registered as a Community Oral Health Officer and not as a dentist.

The clinic acknowledged the qualification and attributed some of the misleading content to a third-party website developer, saying corrective measures had been taken.

However, the Committee found that the misrepresentation was also contained in a promotional video.

“The video itself contained an oral introduction in which he was presented with the title of 'Dr.”, the ruling states.

The practitioner ultimately accepted responsibility for using the title.

The ruling notes that “he confirmed that he understood it was wrong for a person to represent himself using a professional title for which he was not trained or entitled.”

The Committee also raised concerns about the clinic's staffing and professional oversight after it failed to provide documentation proving that qualified dentists and specialists were engaged to handle procedures outside the practitioner's scope of practice.

It further questioned the involvement of a dentist whose name appeared on the clinic's provider list, but whose active supervision or oversight of the facility could not be established.

In its ruling delivered on September 10, 2026, the KMPDC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee, chaired by Prof. Marion Mutugi, found the practitioner culpable of misrepresenting himself through the unauthorised use of the title “Doctor” and fined him Ksh.1 million.

The clinic was also found vicariously liable for allowing the misleading representation on its platforms and fined a further Ksh.1 million.

The Committee directed that a dentist whose name appeared on the clinic's provider list be summoned to explain his association with the facility and the credentials appearing on the list.

KMPDC also ordered a full inspection of the clinic to establish its staffing, governance, recruitment practices and compliance with scope-of-practice requirements.

The Committee further recommended that the KDA sensitise its members on the risks of lending their names and professional licences to facilities without exercising active oversight.

Under Section 22 of the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Act (Cap. 253), using the title “doctor” without being registered as a medical practitioner or dentist, or without holding an equivalent qualification, is a criminal offence.

The Committee rejected the clinic's attempt to attribute the misleading material to an external developer, stressing that regulatory responsibility remains with the healthcare facility.

“Outsourcing the technical function of creating promotional material does not outsource the Dental Clinic's regulatory obligation to ensure that statements concerning its staff, professional titles and services are accurate before publication,” the ruling noted.

The KDA has urged members of the public to verify the registration and qualifications of dental practitioners through the KMPDC's official register before seeking treatment and to report suspected impersonation, quackery or misconduct to the Council or the association.