Surinder, Nicky

London, March 15: An Indian dentist in Britain is in the dock for having sex with one of his patients, a serious offence in this country.

Still, Surinder Singh Hundle, 46, probably would not have attracted much attention had he not become a minor celebrity on television.

He used to make regular appearances on a Channel 4 reality show, 10 Years Younger, in which women with wonky teeth got a makeover from Hundle.

The show presented by Nicky Hambleton-Jones made something of a star of Hundle, who had once been the face of Oral B toothpaste. He had also appeared on Tomorrow’s World, a science programme which highlights exciting new innovations.

There are 37,000 dentists in the UK, most of whom make a good living. It is a profession that has become increasingly popular with Indians, especially women.

Today and yesterday in London, Hundle has been up before the General Dental Council, which can let him off with a stern warning. But given the catalogue of his alleged sexual encounters with a schoolteacher, identified only as “Patient A”, it is apparent the dentist has bitten off more than he can chew.

What makes the offences even more serious is that some of the encounters took place at his work place, the Lund Osler Dental Surgery, a short walk from Harrods in Knightsbridge.

Their affair began in 2006 when Patient A first sought a consultation. She claimed she did not know the dentist was married but was persuaded to carry on even after she found out he was. Hundle was apparently also having an affair with a nurse at work.

Hundle’s receptionist warned her that the dentist’s wife had had a baby but his hold over Patient A could not be shaken off.

What persuaded Patient A finally to bring the case was she felt “intimidated” and “vulnerable”. Hundle had virtually imprisoned her at his home in between their sex sessions. The imprisonment was necessary because on one occasion, Hundle feared the nurse with whom he was having an affair was outside – he called her a “psycho”.

Hundle has admitted having sex with Patient A at his home but not at the surgery, which he knows is a sackable offence.

On behalf of the disciplinary committee of the General Dental Council, Sean Larkin had come equipped with a file which provides an exhaustive list of Hundle’s alleged misdemeanours. The hearing is due to continue until Friday.