DENTISTS are being warned over the risks of buying non-compliant and counterfeit dental devices online.
More than 1,900 such devices have been seized in the last year by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), including dental hand pieces, dental surgery equipment and drill bits.
The MHRA has highlighted the "rapid growth" in websites offering cheaper equipment but warned some of those being sold have not been properly tested and are not authorised for use in the UK dental sector.
The agency has teamed up with the British Dental Industry Association (BDIA) to warn of the risks of buying substandard devices and to raise awareness of the dangers they present to both patients and clinicians.
Cheaper devices sold online can break and shatter while in the mouth with the potential to cause “horrific” damage to teeth and gums.
MHRA’s head of enforcement Alastair Jeffery said: “It is vital dentists and dental staff purchase equipment from bona fide suppliers and avoid non-compliant or counterfeit devices.
"If they fail when being used, and damage your patient, seemingly cheap devices may end up costing you more in the long run."
Medical device adverse incidents can be reported via the Yellow Card scheme
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