Overview

• A 22-year-old set up a fully equipped dental clinic in his family home in Havlíčkův Brod in early 2023 and carried out extractions, root canals and denture fittings
• He and a false dental assistant treated dozens of patients over two years and billed more than 4 million Czech crowns (€160,000)
• Police arrested the impostor and two accomplices on June 18 on suspicion of attempted bodily harm, unregistered business activity and money laundering
• If convicted, the trio could each serve up to eight years behind bars
• The case underscores a chronic shortage of dentists in rural Czech Republic as many graduates move to cities or work abroad