EU dentists working in Britain are nearly four times more likely to be struck off than those who trained in the UK, an investigation has found.

Experts say the foreign practitioners are far more dangerous because laws imposed by Brussels prevent them facing crucial checks on their competence or ability to speak English.

Figures obtained from the General Dental Council show that more than a third of dentists struck off in the past three years qualified elsewhere in Europe.

EU dentists working in Britain are nearly four times more likely to be struck off than those who trained in the UK, an investigation has found (stock image)

They include one from Romania who tried to fit a bridge to a woman’s teeth in a McDonald’s restaurant and another from Hungary who treated dozens of NHS patients in a field tent even though he had no proper qualifications. He was later found to have seriously harmed three patients.

British dentists say they are spending ‘significant amounts’ of appointment time patching up mistakes made by their European colleagues.

Figures obtained by the Daily Mail using Freedom of Information laws show that 22 of the 60 dentists struck off since the start of 2013 qualified in other EU countries, including four from Germany and three each from Romania and Poland.

That means 37 per cent of those struck off qualified in other European Union countries, but they comprise only 16 per cent of the workforce.

At present there are 39,879 dentists registered to work in the UK.

The figures show that 0.09 per cent of all UK-qualified dentists were struck off while 0.35 per cent of those who qualified in other EU countries were struck off.

This means the EU dentists were nearly four times as likely to be struck off.

Due to strict EU legislation, the General Dental Council, which registers and regulates dentists, is not allowed to carry out rigorous tests of their English or competence because it is deemed to impede ‘freedom of movement’ laws.

These are the same rules that apply for EU doctors and nurses, which have been blamed for a series of tragic mistakes and deaths.

By comparison, all medical professionals coming from elsewhere in the world – including English-speaking countries such as Australia – must first pass a series of language exams and skills tests before working here.

This month the rules were tweaked slightly to allow the General Dental Council to ask to see some evidence that EU dentists could speak English.

But the checks are far less stringent than those for dentists coming from elsewhere in the world, who have to pass four language exams.

The Mail was alerted to the flaws in the system by an NHS dentist who practises in South-East London.

Figures obtained from the General Dental Council show that more than a third of dentists struck off in the past three years qualified elsewhere in Europe (stock image)

The whistleblower, who does not wish to be named, said: ‘A significant amount of our appointments are spent rectifying the errors of these dentists.

‘Many of these countries do not have the same level of stringent testing required of British dentists and yet they can practise here without a problem. It is putting patients in jeopardy.

If you come from Poland or Germany, or any part of the EU, then you can work without being tested. That seems wrong.’

A Hungarian dentist was struck off after treating dozens of NHS patients in a tent. Frank Kannmann set up the tent in Lincolnshire in 2008 for patients unable to see an NHS dentist. But he had no insurance or licence and seriously harmed three.

And Anca Claudia Macavei, from Romania, was struck off after offering to treat a patient in McDonald’s.

She had been working from a clinic in Cannon Street, Central London, but was barred after falling out with managers, so in 2012 she met a patient in a nearby McDonald’s and attempted to insert a bridge to check it would fit.

The EU in Brussels: Experts say the foreign practitioners are far more dangerous because laws imposed by Brussels prevent them facing crucial checks on their competence or ability to speak English

The flaw in the EU legislation was tragically exposed by the 2008 death of David Gray, 70, at the hands of German GP Daniel Ubani, who had flown in to do his first locum shift.

He had not faced any checks on his competence or ability to speak English and gave the pensioner, from Manea, Cambridgeshire, ten times the safe dose of diamorphine.