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The accused in court
Photo: CHRISTOPHE SIMON / AFP
Two dentists in southern France have been sentenced to prison for allegedly exchanging healthy teeth for prostheses.
The two men are to be jailed for five and eight years respectively.
Accordingly, father and son also received a final ban on practicing their profession.
The case has caused horror in France.
Lionel Guedj, the son, is said to have molested more than 300 patients between 2006 and 2012 and collected money with the unnecessary installation of prostheses.
In 2005, Guedj opened his practice in the north of Marseille, where many people with low incomes and North African roots live.
He addressed his patients on a first-name basis, received up to 70 a day, many without an appointment.
His method: "After the first appointment, there was a systematic treatment plan to kill and crown as many teeth as possible," says an examination report.
Guedj billed 28 times more dentures than an average dentist.
He carried out his operations quickly and carelessly.
Many patients subsequently complained of inflammation, abscesses, ulcers and poorly fitting dentures.
Earned 2.9 million euros
According to prosecution calculations, Guedj killed about 3,900 healthy teeth, an average of eleven per patient.
Accordingly, the main defendant was meanwhile the best-earning dentist in France - with a fee of around 2.9 million euros for 2010.
More than 300 of his disappointed and angry patients eventually went to court.
About a hundred of them were present at the hearing of the verdict.
When the verdict was announced, applause erupted in the courtroom.
jpz/dpa/AFP