Hyderabad: The Telangana Dental Council (TGDC) issued a stern warning to dentists, stating that strict action will be taken against those found engaging in unethical practices.In a strongly worded statement, the TGDC highlighted a growing trend of malpractice among certain “dental professionals,” including the display of unregistered degrees, unauthorised practice of facial aesthetic procedures and hair transplantation — particularly by individuals who are not oral and maxillofacial surgeons. The council added that such “dental professionals” are also operating unauthorised shops to dispense drugs and conduct unapproved courses.“These days, some dentists have been found practising cosmetology despite being registered as dentist, which the council has banned and released a notice in this regard. While these are merely vocational courses teaching hair colouring, manicure, and pedicure, these dentists are now also performing complex cosmetology procedures,” a source said.The TGDC reminded dental practitioners that the Dental Council of India (DCI) has clearly laid out ethical and professional conduct guidelines under the Dentists Act, 1948, and the Revised Dentists (Code of Ethics) Regulation, 2014. “It has come to the council’s notice that several practitioners are flouting these norms, engaging in direct and indirect advertisements, and misrepresenting their qualifications and services,” it added.The council also clarified that dental establishments must be named only as “dental clinics,” unless they are licenced and equipped to admit in-patients, in which case they may be referred to as “dental hospitals.”It further stated that any dental professional found guilty of professional misconduct will be punished as deemed necessary, including complete deregistration. Additionally, the council added that the names of such violators will be shared with media publications to ensure public awareness and uphold professional accountability.