The British Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) launched an investigation after the original manufacturer became aware of questionable internet offers for its products. The investigations revealed that the suspected counterfeit dealer imported the illegal imitations for about 10 pounds (about 13 euro) per unit from China and sold them for roughly 75 pounds (around 100 euro) online.
The actual sales price of such dental devices, however, is much higher – between 300 and 600 pounds per unit. In order to make the counterfeits appear more authentic, the man applied logo stickers before advertising them on eBay.
The experts of the MHRA explicitly warn against such cheap imitations, as dental drills of this kind can break apart in the patient’s mouth during treatment, causing serious injuries. Alistair Jeffrey from the MHRA accordingly called for caution: “It is vital that dentists and dental staff buy equipment from bona fide suppliers. Remember, if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.“
The MHRA had already issued a warning against counterfeit dentistry products back in 2014, after more than 12,000 illegal imitations were confiscated within six months (we reported). The MHRA investigators confiscated a total of 700 counterfeit dental drills alone in the last four years. Experts estimate that the number of undetected products is much higher.
The counterfeit dealer, convicted in Britain of trade in imitation dentistry products, was sentenced to nine months in prison, a fine of 2,000 pounds (some 2,600 euro), and 200 hours of community service. He is not permitted to act as a business director for the next five years.
