A DENTIST was warned to pay closer attention to his practice as he was cleared of misconduct allegations arising from a set of braces.

Timothy Puttick's patient said she had not been made aware of the price of the treatment, which was double what she had expected to pay.

The woman told the General Dental Council that when an estimate was given to her, on a scrap of paper, the price had gone up again.

But the conduct committee accepted there had been "a communication breakdown", rather than serious professional misconduct, and dropped the charges.

Chairman John Scott said the handwritten note given to patient A - she was not identified - was sufficient as a written treatment plan.

"The committee notes that the estimate was correct and the treatment provided to patient A was appropriate," he said. "The committee is not satisfied that the facts alleged in the charges are capable of amounting to serious professional misconduct."

He added: "The committee considers that patient A was fully aware of the treatment plan and was aware that charges were to be made in respect of that treatment."

But Mr Puttick was warned to be more careful in future at his surgery, Oasis Dental Care, in Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough.

"As a dentist, you retain responsibility for the way your practice is conducted, and the fact that its management functions may be undertaken by others in no way diminishes that responsibility," the chairman said.

Martin Forde, for Mr Puttick, told the hearing: 'The request for an itemised account was in fact not made to my client at any stage, it was actually made to reception staff. This is a case of communication breakdown, much of which did not appear to involve my client.