UK-Restricted Dentist's Role As "Head Of Implants" At Kildare Clinic

According to the Sunday Independent, a notice on the Kildare Dental Practice website states that he is "known for his considerable skills with implants".

According to the Sunday Independent report of yesterday (26/1/25), and as previously reported by Kfm over a year ago, a loophole in Irish health regulatory law allows Dr. David Gwyer, a dentist restricted in Northern Ireland due to concerns about his care for 16 patients, to practice in the Republic of Ireland without oversight.

Dr. Gwyer is listed as "head of the implants team" at Kildare Dental Centre.

According to the Sunday Independent, a notice on the Kildare Dental Practice website states that he is "known for his considerable skills with implants", while Smiles Dental has praised his work on Facebook.

According to the Sunday Independent article, despite his restrictions in the UK, Irish legislation passed in 2020 to address such cases has not yet been fully implemented, leaving regulatory bodies powerless to act.

Dr Gwyer’s record includes accusations from his work in Northern Ireland, where the UK’s General Dental Council (GDC) flagged concerns regarding his care for 16 patients between 2016 and 2018.

The UK regulatory body determined that his fitness to practice was impaired due to misconduct and deficient performance.

As a result, he is allowed to work in Northern Ireland only under strict supervision and must report all professional roles and appointments.  According to the UK General Dental Council's website, these restrictions currently are applicable until May 2025 (and are reviewed at six months intervals by the GDC).

Dr. Gywer is registered with the Irish Dental Council to practice in the Republic. The UK GDC restrictions do not currently apply in the Republic of Ireland due to gaps in Irish regulatory law. This situation was confirmed to Kfm News last year in a phone call to the Irish Dental Council's office i.e. that under Irish law sanctions in another jurisdiction do not apply in the Republic of Ireland and therefore the Irish Dental Council cannot take them into account in the Registration process. Consequently, Dr. Gwyer is properly registered to practice in the Republic of Ireland.

The regulatory gap in Irish law stems from the delayed implementation of certain provisions in the Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Act 2020, which was signed into law in October 2020.

This legislation was designed to strengthen oversight by requiring health professionals, such as dentists, to disclose sanctions imposed on them in other jurisdictions and allowing Irish regulatory bodies, like the Dental Council of Ireland, to investigate such cases.