Dentist's crusade may get him banned

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It's agony enough having your root canals prodded without the dentist inquiring where you went on your holidays, and expecting a reply.

One Victorian dentist, though, went further: he tried to convert a patient to Christianity as she lay in his chair.

Paul Gardner is up before a disciplinary tribunal, which has been told the self-confessed "God-botherer" has failed to recant and is likely to pursue his crusade.

According to the Geelong Advertiser, he was fined A$10,000 ($13,127) six months ago for telling a schizophrenic patient she was possessed by the devil and could be cured through the spiritual healing of his fundamentalist church.

In the latest incident, Gardner construed the "facial expression and body language" of a patient to signify that she questioned the teaching of the Bible.

He also informed her that tattoos - she has one depicting a dragon - desensitised people to prophecies contained in the Scriptures.

The Dental Board of Australia is seeking to have Gardner suspended or disqualified from practice for up to 18 months. Its lawyer, Patrick Monahan, rejected his claim he had merely been having a conversation about religion.

"He wasn't just talking; he was trying to change her view. He was trying to persuade her that he was right and she was wrong," Monahan told the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

The tribunal also heard that Gardner started an anti-Semitic diatribe while treating the woman, and offered her an "alarming and intense" DVD which was offensive to Catholics and Muslims. Monahan said he did not appreciate the seriousness of his conduct and was as "likely to repeat his behaviour as he ever was".

The dentist has condemned the disciplinary action as part of a Masonic or Catholic plot contravening his human rights, and has sent "threatening letters" to the Dental Board demanding A$175,000 ($230,000) in compensation.

Gardner was unable to attend the hearing. His lawyer, Jeff Gleeson, admitted his behaviour had been unprofessional, but said his 26-year career would not survive a ban.