Dental clinic fined Ksh.2M over ‘Dr’ title used by unqualified staff

The Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) has fined a Nairobi dental clinic and its proprietor a total of Ksh.2 million after an unqualified staff member was presented to the public as a doctor.

The disciplinary action against Celestial Dental Centre follows a complaint by the Kenya Dental Association (KDA) over promotional material in which Dennis Onyango Ombeo, a registered Community Oral Health Officer (COHO), was introduced as “Dr Dennis”.

The clinic, which has a branch in Kamakis, Nairobi, had advertised services including dental implants, orthodontic treatment and other restorative procedures.

The case has renewed concerns over quackery in Kenya’s dental sector, with the KDA warning in July 2023 that some dental facilities were allowing unqualified persons to impersonate dentists.

“The trend promotes quackery, unimaginable pain and high costs of care in pursuit of appropriate treatment,” the KDA said.

“The public is further advised to consider taking legal action against any person impersonating/masquerading as a qualified dentist and/or persons employing unqualified persons and quacks to provide oral healthcare services,” the association warned.

In General Case No. 24 of 2025, the KDA told the KMPDC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee that the matter was “not an isolated question of nomenclature but a matter of public protection”.

The association argued that a member of the public viewing the advert “could reasonably understand the person featured as the doctor responsible for or competent to deliver the advertised services.”

When the Council contacted the clinic in August 2025, it confirmed that Ombeo was registered as a Community Oral Health Officer and not as a dentist.

The clinic acknowledged his qualification and attributed some of the misleading content to a third-party website developer, saying corrective measures had been taken.

However, the Committee found that the misrepresentation was also contained in the promotional video itself.

“The video itself contained an oral introduction in which he was presented as ‘Dr. Dennis,’” the ruling states.

Ombeo, who is also the proprietor of Celestial Dental, ultimately accepted responsibility for using the title.

The ruling notes that “he confirmed that he understood it was wrong for a person to represent himself using a professional title for which he was not trained or entitled.”

The Committee also raised concerns about the clinic's staffing and professional oversight after it failed to provide documentation proving it engaged qualified dentists and specialists it claimed handled procedures outside Ombeo's scope of practice.

It further questioned the involvement of a dentist whose name appeared on the clinic's provider list, but whose active supervision or oversight of the facility could not be established.

In its ruling delivered on September 10, 2026, the KMPDC Disciplinary and Ethics Committee, chaired by Prof. Marion Mutugi, found Ombeo culpable of misrepresenting himself through the unauthorised use of the title “Doctor” and fined him Ksh.1 million.

Celestial Dental Centre was also found vicariously liable for allowing the misleading representation on its platforms and fined a further Ksh.1 million.

The Committee directed that Dr. Martin Luther King Ogada be summoned to explain his association with the facility and his credentials appearing on its provider list.

KMPDC also ordered a full inspection of the clinic to establish its staffing, governance, recruitment practices and compliance with scope-of-practice requirements.

The Committee further recommended that the KDA sensitise its members on the risks of lending their names and professional licences to facilities without exercising active oversight.

Under Section 22 of the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Act (Cap. 253), using the title “doctor” without being registered as a medical practitioner or dentist, or without holding an equivalent qualification, is a criminal offence.

The Committee also rejected the clinic's attempt to attribute the misleading material to an external developer, stressing that regulatory responsibility remains with the healthcare facility.

“Outsourcing the technical function of creating promotional material does not outsource the Dental Clinic's regulatory obligation to ensure that statements concerning its staff, professional titles and services are accurate before publication,” the ruling noted.

The KDA has urged members of the public to verify the registration and qualifications of dental practitioners through the KMPDC's official register before seeking treatment and to report suspected impersonation, quackery or misconduct to the Council or the association.