48 days, 60 witnesses

Wrong dentist: finale after seven years

The fake dentist was exposed in 2015

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/LuckyBusiness)

Drilling, grinding, inserting implants and braces: A Styrian woman (43) who ran a dental practice is alleged to have done all of this to patients - even though she had no training to do so. The case was heard in Graz for seven years, 60 witnesses were heard and 20 expert opinions were provided - now a verdict is finally to be reached.

Even a normal visit to the dentist is an absolute horror for many people. But things got particularly bad for patients at a practice in southern Styria, where a dental assistant carried out treatments herself without authorization. The Styrian was exposed back in 2015 and the trial for malpractice began in 2018 at the Graz Regional Criminal Court (presided over by Elisabeth Juschitz).

The victims thought she was the doctor
The business model: according to the indictment, the 37-year-old had been running a dental center since 2010, providing rooms and technology. New doctors kept joining, others left again. In order to keep her patient base despite these gaps and to maintain a steady income, the accused is said to have carried out treatments herself (drilling, filling teeth, inserting brackets) - even though she lacked the necessary training!

The victims stated in court that they firmly assumed that the defendant was also the dentist. The now 43-year-old always maintained her innocence: "I only carried out jobs that the doctors told me to do."  

Since the beginning, trial dates were repeatedly canceled because the woman was unfit to stand trial for various health reasons.

I only carried out assignments that the doctors told me to.

Die Angeklagte

Mega negotiation costs
A total of 48 hearings have taken place since 2018, 60 witnesses have been heard and 20 expert opinions have been provided - a criminal financial investigation was also included. Three co-defendant dentists have been discharged through diversion. After almost seven years, a verdict is now due to be reached at the end of February. The costs of the trial are likely to be in the six-figure range.