ALISON CAMPSIE and CAROLYN CHURCHILL Dr Abid Faqir is one of Scotland's rising stars, a bright young thing of dentistry who promises a new "dream smile" in an hour for those with at least £25,000 to spare.
He was recently named by the industry as the Best Young Dentist in Scotland for his work on tooth implants, with his reputation further sealed when he carried out surgery on a patient placed under hypnosis, a procedure believed to be a world first.
Dr Faqir, who grew up in a flat above Glasgow's famous Shish Mahal restaurant where members of his extended family earned their living, has become a well known man about town and a valued donor to many charitable organisations.
His profile was further lifted by Dentistry Magazine last year, who listed him as the 37th most influential dentist in the UK.
But the ascension of the young Glasgow professional, who is just 32 years old, suddenly stalled yesterday when he was brought before the General Dental Council in London, accused of sub-standard work and dishonesty against one of his patients.
He denies these charges and claims that his fitness to practise is impaired after the woman complained to the GDC about the treatment she received from Dr Faqir in 2006 and 2007, when he was practising in Kilmarnock.
The patient, a recovering breast cancer sufferer, had gone to Dr Faqir to get her dentures smartened up. The result was that she spent "thousands of pounds" on several implants which were, she alleges, badly fitted.
The GDC hearing will hear claims that Dr Faqir failed to abandon the procedure when the implants did not hold well on the bone, instead continuing with the costly treatment without giving the patient information on possible alternatives.
It is also claimed that Dr Faqir failed to properly asses the patient or keep records of her procedure.
During the four day hearing full allegations about the way he treated his patient will be aired, with the possibility that his glittering career could be brought to an end if the woman's complaints are upheld.
Dr Faqir graduated from Glasgow University Dental School in 1999, before completing a fellowship in Edinburgh and a masters degree at Glasgow University. He now practides at the Niddrie Square Clinic in the city.
He has stayed loyal to Glasgow, despite having the opportunity to take his career to the luxury loving inhabitants of Dubai.
Dr Faqir said: "I love the city, love the country, and love increasing the profile of the city. There have been numerous opportunities for me to move away. I have a licence to work in Dubai, too, but I would rather stay here."
Last year, Dr Faqir was appointed as a trustee of Glasgow's new Riverside Museum. At that time, he recalled how he would visit the original at Kelvinhall as a child and held many fond memories of the experience.
He is now in charge of raising £5m towards the new museum, under construction on the banks of the Clyde, and hopes to draw financial support from the dynamic and wealthy Asian business community.
Dr Faqir said: "I think initially there could be an involvement from the Asian community and from that, I think once they recognise what we are doing here and what it will do for the city, I don't think it will be too difficult for them to get involved in the financial side of things as well. I don't think that will be an issue."
Dr Faqir was the first dentist in Scotland to offer patients a new set of teeth in less than an hour. The procedure, which involves performing a "virtual operation" on computer using an image of the patient's mouth before doing it for real, costs up to £25,000 for the upper jaw and £45,000 for both upper and lower sets.
His website states: "He is renowned for bringing innovative and cutting-edge dentistry to Scotland and so stays at the forefront of modern day dentistry."
It adds that patients "can be sure of receiving the finest care and the best results" and his expertise "helps provide both the patient and referring dentist with the secure knowledge of being in safe and capable hands".
Dr Faqir, who yesterday attended the GDC to hear the case against him, also boasts of having trained with "the best in the world."
It will be decided by the end of the week if Dr Faqir is fit to claim he is still amongst them. The charges
Patient A alleges that Dr Faqir failed to make an adequate assessment or record of several factors, including her medical history, oral hygiene, upper denture and the condition of her soft tissues, at her initial consultation on August 10, 2006.
He is accused of failing to provide the patient with a written treatment plan and failing to provide enough information about implants for the patient to be able to give informed consent to the treatment plan.
The patient agreed to have three dental implants and a removable overdenture in September 2006. It is again alleged Dr Faqir has failed to make adequate assessments of records of several issues.
Her lower front teeth were extracted and three implants inserted but it is claimed that the implants were too big and fitted at the wrong angle. It is also claimed that he failed to obtain written consent for the treatment.
The patient's treatment plan then changed to include two more dental implants.
The General Dental Council's allegations state that Dr Faqir "knew or ought to have known that the availability of bone in the areas of the proposed further implants was very restricted".
Dr Faqir denies failing to obtain the patient's consent and that his fitness to practise is impaired. He further denies not putting Patient A's interests first and acting dishonestly.
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