The Case of the Farting Dentist

Matthew Walton is also accused of belching and swearing in front of patients and staff

Only in Britain.

A DENTIST accused of offensive behaviour in his surgery delighted in breaking wind in front of colleagues while they ate their lunch, a disciplinary hearing was told yesterday.

When Matthew Walton was begged to stop by colleagues because it was making the room smell so bad, ­Walton repeated the behaviour, the General Dental Council heard.

He is also accused of belching and swearing in front of patients and staff, making V-signs behind their backs and being intolerant of the elderly and ­ethnic minorities.

Dental nurse Carol Stokes told how Walton’s behaviour deteriorated after she had worked at the practice in Whitchurch, Shropshire, for six weeks.

She told the hearing in London how the dentist would often break wind during lunch.

“I just asked him to stop doing it. It was annoying. I didn’t like the smell around the practice and it made us feel sick,” she said.

I cannot imagine a disciplinary hearing drawing the attention of the tabloid press here in America. But as a consultant for the the California Dental Board II have seen far worse behavior. Obviously, this dentist needs some counseling, some continuing education in ethics and a little time off to take some Bean-O.