Dr Jacob Goldenberg and his company, Total Health Dentistry in Ponsonby, face 21 charges. Photo: RNZ / Liu Chen
An Auckland dentist accused of treating patients while his license was suspended can now be named.
Dr Jacob Goldenberg and his company, Total Health Dentistry in Ponsonby, face 21 charges under the Health Practitioners Competence and Assurance Act 2003 and the Fair Trading Act 1986.
The charges, filed by the Ministry of Health, alleged he worked as a health practitioner without holding a current practising certificate and falsely claimed dental services were being supplied by a registered dentist.
Goldenberg has not entered any pleas to the charges.
He had his practising certificate suspended by the Dental Council in March 2023, pending the completion of an investigation.
His practice was put into liquidation in April 2024.
He was granted temporary name suppression when initial charges were filed against him by the Ministry of Health in 2024, after previously being named by RNZ in its investigation of Goldenberg's practice.
But at the Auckland District Court on Wednesday morning, Judge Kevin Muir denied Goldenberg's request to keep name suppression until a verdict was delivered.
Speaking to Judge Muir in court, Goldenberg argued that he should not be named until he could give evidence because he considered the allegations against him to be inaccurate.
"The clinical facts won't support the charges," he said.
Judge Muir said there was no evidence that publicly naming the dentist would cause him extreme hardship and that the public had a right to know about the proceedings.
He said Goldenberg was given "ample time" to file an application in support of his bid for name suppression, which he did not do.
RNZ also opposed name suppression on the basis that publication might assist in alerting other people who might be affected to come forward.
Judge Muir decided Goldenberg's name suppression would lapse at 4pm on 20 November, to allow him an opportunity to obtain legal advice.
Goldenberg is due back in court in January when a trial date is expected to be set.
Judge Muir urged Goldenberg, who has chosen to represent himself, to get legal representation.
He said standby counsel would be appointed to assist Goldenberg during the trial.
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