ORTHODONIST Beatrice Luciola has been suspended from practising as a dentist for 18 months because of ‘the need to protect the public and the serious allegations against her’.

The suspension was imposed by the General Dental Council following a hearing of the case at its Interim Orders Committee on Tuesday.

The council received complaints between February and April from a number of Ms Luciola’s patients, or parents of patients, about dental treatment at Beyond Dental Care in Bexton Lane, Knutsford.

A report from the hearing said: “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.

“Some of the patients also alleged that Ms Luciola provided poor orthodontic treatment, leaving them or their children in pain and discomfort, and having to pay more money to have the treatment corrected elsewhere.”

The committee added that some of the patients alleged Ms Luciola failed to compensate or refund them for treatment which had been paid for but not started or completed.

The Beyond Dental Care website states: “Our highly experienced and dedicated team, led by Specialist Orthodontist, Dr Beatrice Luciola, will guide you through your treatment.

“We are passionate about what we do and dedicated to providing patients with an excellent level of personalised service in a friendly and caring environment.

“Please visit our Patient Stories section to read about some of the hundreds of happy patients we have treated.”

The report from Tuesday’s hearing, which imposed the 18-month interim suspension, said the committee was told the practice had closed in about December, and Trading Standards was investigating complaints about the practice, with the possibility of bringing charges under the Fraud Act 2006.

The report said: “In the committee’s view there is a real risk of significant harm to patients if Ms Luciola were to practise as a dentist without there being some restriction on her registration.”

It said the committee had balanced the public interest with Ms Luciola’s own interests, and the interim suspension order would prevent her from practising as a dentist pending the GDC’s investigation into the allegations against her.

“However, given the serious nature of the allegations against Ms Luciola, the committee is satisfied that the need to protect the public and the wider public interest outweighs her own interests,” it added.

The order will be reviewed within six months. Ms Luciola was not present at Tuesday’s hearing, and was represented by QC Mr Stern.

The report said Mr Stern drew the committee’s attention to an email sent in March by Ms Luciola to her parents, ‘which sets out the difficulties she has been experiencing and the current arrangements regarding her practice’.

The report said the committee had considered whether to impose an interim order of conditions on Ms Luciola’s registration.

“In so doing, it has had regard to the serious nature of the allegations against Ms Luciola, which raise concerns in relation to a number of areas of her practice,” it said.

“Further, it has had regard to Ms Luciola’s limited engagement in these proceedings, and the absence of any steps she has taken to address the concerns raised.”

The Guardian was unable to contact Ms Luciola for a comment.