Dental Professionals Hearings Service determination — substantive hearing
GDC panel reprimands dentist Dan Topala over implant consent and referral failings
A GDC Professional Conduct Committee has reprimanded dentist Dan Doru Topala after he admitted failing to discuss the risk of paraesthesia, take radiographs or obtain informed consent before an implant procedure, and failing to refer the patient urgently when numbness persisted.
MedicWatch editorial · Published 5 August 2026 · Updated 18 August 2026
Warning (formally warned) — 1 year
Added to MedicWatch: 17 August 2026Report a correction
What does “formally warned” mean?
A formal warning is a note on the practitioner's record. It does not restrict practice but tells the public that the regulator considered the conduct to have fallen below expected standards.
Concerning Dan Doru Topala, dentist (General Dental Council 264195).
Decision date: 5 August 2026 · Hearing started 3 August 2026 and ended 5 August 2026
In plain English
The GDC tribunal decided that dentist Dan Doru Topala's fitness to practise was impaired by misconduct and issued him with a reprimand. The Professional Conduct Committee found proved, on his own admissions, that he did not discuss the risk of paraesthesia or take radiographs before placing an implant for Patient A in February 2021, did not obtain informed consent, placed the implant without adequate support, and did not urgently refer the patient when he reported persistent numbness. The reprimand stays on the register for 12 months.
Charges
That while registered as a dentist Mr Topala's fitness to practise was impaired by reason of misconduct, in that: (1) he failed to provide an adequate standard of implant treatment to Patient A between 7 December 2020 and 11 February 2021, in that he did not discuss the risk of paraesthesia, did not take radiographs before placing the second implant at LL7, and did not take radiographs to assess the placement of that implant; (2) by reason of the conduct at 1a he failed to obtain informed consent for the implant treatment provided to Patient A over the same period; (3) on 11 February 2021 he placed the second implant at LL7 without adequate support; (4) he failed to advise Patient A on or shortly after 12 February 2021 of the need for him to clinically assess the numbness; and (5) he failed to urgently refer Patient A to a maxillofacial surgeon in light of the persistent numbness.
Findings
Mr Topala made admissions to all heads of charge and the Committee announced the facts proved on that basis under Rule 17(4). The Committee found the admitted failures amounted to misconduct, holding that the failure to give Patient A the information needed to make an informed decision, working without appropriate support, and the failure to advise on clinical assessment or refer urgently went beyond mere negligence. The determination records that a CBCT scan on 12 March 2021 showed the implant had been placed through the inferior dental nerve, severing it, and that Patient A has permanent numbness. On impairment, the Committee concluded the risk of repetition was sufficiently low that impairment was not necessary on public protection grounds, but found impairment on public interest grounds under the Grant test. At sanction the Committee issued a reprimand, which will be recorded on the GDC register alongside his name for 12 months and forms part of his fitness to practise history. The Committee considered conditions but found them disproportionate given the absence of concerns about his current clinical practice.
Mitigating and aggravating factors
Mitigating factors
Previous good character. That the incident in question was isolated and/or out of character. That there is evidence of good conduct following the incident in question. Evidence of remorse, insight and/or apology. Remedial action taken.
Aggravating factors
Actual harm or risk of harm to a patient.
Source
All facts on this page are drawn from the publicly published Dental Professionals Hearings Service determination linked below. MedicWatch does not editorialise the regulator’s findings.
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