Dental college seeks to shut down rogue dentist
David Wu told to stop practising 10 years ago
The College of Dental Surgeons of B. C. has filed a notice of contempt against a Burnaby man who has continued to offer dental services even though a B. C. Supreme Court judge ruled 10 years ago that he was not entitled to do so.
The fresh proceedings, slated to be heard in B. C. Supreme Court on Monday, were launched against Tung Sheng Wu, also known as David Wu, after the college received a complaint against the alleged dentist in April this year and secured a warrant to search his Burnaby residence in the 4300block of Southwood Street.
The three- hour search on May 29, according to court documents, “establishes beyond a reasonable doubt” that Wu had wilfully disobeyed a June 2003 court order that declared he was not entitled to practise dentistry in B. C. and suggests his conduct “exposed the persons he treated to a serious risk of harm.”
The 2003 court order, by consent of the college and Wu’s lawyer, also stated Wu should “not hold himself out as qualified or entitled to practise dentistry” or directly or indirectly use a name, title or description that implied or inferred that he could practise dentistry in B. C. The order followed an investigation into Wu’s unlawful dentistry practice.
The College maintains Wu is not registered in the Dentists’ Register in good standing. It has asked for an order that Wu be sent to jail or fined, or a combination of both, arguing that a penalty is needed to protect the public and deter him from offering dentistry services in the province.
The court must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Wu knew of the order and its terms and deliberately disobeyed it.
“The evidence clearly establishes that Mr. Wu engaged in a systematic and prolonged course of conduct that was directly contemptuous of the order,” the notice states. “His conduct needlessly exposed other persons to harm. He has shown no remorse.”
Because Wu moved out of his Burnaby residence following the search, the college has also applied for an order to serve the contempt notice by leaving it at his daughter’s home in Richmond, Yu- Te Chang & Associates in Richmond and his last known Burnaby address.