The claim has come about as a counterfeit product for drilling and cleaning teeth shattered whilst being used on a patient.
The incident has sparked fresh warnings to dentists about the dangers of buying dental medical devices online.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced its concern at the apparent rise in counterfeit and non CE-marked dental products for sale.
John Wilkinson, MHRA director of devices, said: ‘The patient in this latest incident was unhurt but dentists buying and using counterfeit and non CE-marked dental medical devices are putting the safety of their patients at risk.
‘Dentists should only buy dental medical devices from a legitimate manufacturer or supplier.
'Any dentists who may be worried or have questions can contact the MHRA on 020 3080 6701 or through email at [email protected].’
MHRA issued a Medical Device Alert to dentists to warn them non CE-marked and counterfeit products will not have been tested for safety and could fail during use.
MHRA is now working with auction websites to remove counterfeit or non CE-marked products.
The MHRA is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe.
