Introduction:

Intrusiveness in the health professions, and in Dentistry in particular, continues to be a current problem today, despite the controls of the Administration and Professional Associations. This problem classified as a crime in the Spanish Criminal Code affects both the Administration, which must protect society from harmful conduct, professionals who practice within the law and also the general public.

Aim:

To know the situation of the crime of intrusion in Dentistry in the provinces of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia between the years 1995 and 2020.

Material and method:

We have used the databases of the “Documentation Center of the General Council of the Judiciary” (CENDOJ) and “Westlaw de Aranzadi” to search for court rulings using the terms: intrusismo, odontólogo, estomatólogo, Barcelona, Lleida, Girona, Tarragona, Catalonia. We have carried out a retrospective study of the judicial sentences trying to know fifteen variables, among others, plaintiff, defendant's profession, type of dental treatment performed and sentences imposed.

Results:

Eleven sentences and three orders were obtained with different results in the variables studied. The most common profession is the dental technician followed by dentists without an approved degree with the help of a dentist collaborator. The work carried out is very varied and the sanctions imposed are very low.

Conclusions:

The role of the Colleges of Dentists is important and necessary so that this type of practice does not take place. Penalties do not exert a deterrent effect on intruders.

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