Supercare Dental and Cosmetics patients left with missing teeth and superannuation after clinics collapse
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Melinda Amourous was slowly losing her top teeth and struggling with self-confidence when she visited a Supercare Dental and Cosmetics clinic in 2022.
It offered what seemed like the ideal solution: a full mouth of dental implants, giving her the perfect smile.
The cost was $48,000, but they reassured her they would help the single mother of four apply to the tax office to access her superannuation.
"I have never spent that kind of money ever in my life. I literally jumped at the chance because it's not anything I would ever be able to afford on my own," Ms Amourous said.
Three years later, she has lost more than half her total superannuation balance, cannot eat without removing her teeth, has a bleeding mouth and has had to superglue her broken temporary implant dentures together so she can leave the house.
"I've become a recluse," she said.
"I've missed birthday parties, weddings, school reunions — all sorts of things — because there was just no chance in hell I was putting myself out there for people to look at me with no teeth in."
Despite dozens of emails and phone calls to the Kotara Supercare Dental and Cosmetics clinic and its owners, Ms Amourous has been unable to have the work repaired.
ABC News can reveal that Supercare Dental and Cosmetics was struggling to keep staff after repeatedly failing to pay its dentists.
Ms Amourous is among hundreds of patients across the country who have paid millions of dollars up-front for dental work not yet completed at Supercare Dental and Cosmetics clinics, according to a report to creditors.
The NSW Health Care Complaints Commission has begun an investigation into the company's Kotara branch after reviewing documents from Ms Amourous showing the standard of care she received.
"They are highly, highly unprofessional. I have been through horrific physical pain as well," Ms Amourous said.
"Do not go anywhere near them."
Late Tuesday, the NSW Supreme Court ordered Usman Dental Pty Ltd be wound up and a liquidator appointed to take control of the company. A hearing will be held to determine the fate of the Tuggerah clinic later on Wednesday.
Supercare Dental and Cosmetics has three other NSW clinics — at Penrith, Wilton and Corrimal.
As of last week, the company was still taking bookings for new patients at some clinics, even as patients battled to get their money back for unfinished treatment.
A preliminary report issued to creditors revealed the three entities under administration had a deficit of $5.76 million.
It listed "defective work performed by contractors, unrecoverable loans to related entities, inadequate cash flow and high cash use, and poor financial control" as reasons behind the company's failure.
There were more than 441 patients between the Kotara and Tuggerah clinics who appeared to have paid over $2.1 million for dental work yet to be delivered, the administrator's report to creditors stated.
Much of that money, according to patients and former dentists who worked for Supercare Dental and Cosmetics, was likely to have come from patient superannuation balances.
On May 14, the Kotara and Tuggerah clinics posted on Facebook confirming they had entered voluntary administration. They reassured patients the practices would continue to "operate as normal and all scheduled and ongoing treatments are proceeding as planned".
A report issued to creditors noted that the administrator's review found "the companies clearly traded while insolvent" and that at least one of the companies "became clearly insolvent by 30 June 2024, however there remains arguments for an earlier date of insolvency".
Company records show the director of the three entities under administration is Syma Usman, the wife of dentist Dr Khurram Usman, who treated patients and provided treatment plans at some of the clinics.
The combined report to creditors noted Ms Usman may be guilty of two offences under the Corporations Act — failure to exercise due care and diligence and failure to prevent insolvent trading, both of which can carry civil penalties.
Five dentists who worked for the company told ABC News they were collectively owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in wages and were concerned for patient welfare.
Several former staff described the company as "predatory" and "aggressive" in pushing patients to withdraw their superannuation to pay for treatment plans, costing tens of thousands of dollars.
"I've noticed they kept increasing prices, they were at $70,000 for the most expensive treatment but I noticed them trying to increase to $80,000 or $100,000 for a full mouth of implants," one dentist told ABC News.
"They are very aggressive in pushing people to take out their superannuation," the dentist said, adding patients were often lower- to middle-class with little financial literacy or way of accessing cash other than from their superannuation."
Dental treatment made up more than half that number, surging to half a billion dollars last financial year — a figure that has more than tripled in the past three years.
The Australian Tax Office (ATO) allows patients to withdraw their superannuation to pay for medical and dental work to treat a life-threatening illness or injury, or to alleviate acute or chronic pain.
ATO rules do not allow superannuation to be used for cosmetic dental procedures.
Despite that, multiple Supercare Dental and Cosmetics advertisements spruiked that dental implants and porcelain veneers "to achieve the smile you've always wanted" were "potentially affordable through your super fund".
Speaking more broadly, Xavier O'Halloran, CEO of Super Consumers Australia, said there was now a whole industry of businesses set up to help patients access their superannuation to pay for surgical and dental work.
"The kind of businesses set up around this practice engage in pretty questionable activities," he said.
"Some charge fees of around $700 in order to just access super from the ATO, which is a free process, so no one should be paying for that."
Mr O'Halloran said some patients did not realise you needed to pay an extra tax of up to 22 per cent when withdrawing superannuation early, which can already have a huge impact on your super balance at retirement age.
"If you're taking out something in the order of $50,000, you could pretty easily be in excess of $100,000 worse off by the time you retire," he said.
"The promotion of these kind of early release schemes leave a lot to be desired and I don't think the promoters have the best interests of consumers at heart.
"We can see that through the excessive fees and the coaching practices that have been involved in order to get people to take their money out of super," Mr O'Halloran said, adding it was a practice he believed should be banned.
Newcastle woman Clorissa Bishop said she was left "heartbroken", $22,000 out of pocket and with unfinished dental work, as a result of Supercare Dental and Cosmetics's Kotara clinic going into voluntary administration.
Ms Bishop, 42, took $55,000 out of her superannuation to fix lifelong issues with her teeth and gums. She says she was also taxed an additional $15,000 when withdrawing her superannuation.
Supercare Dental and Cosmetics assisted her to get approval from the ATO and Ms Bishop transferred them the entire amount, as required under the contract she signed.
Treatment to have her top teeth removed and replaced with implants began at the Kotara clinic in August 2024, with a dentist who flew in from the Gold Coast.
Halfway through the treatment, Ms Bishop says she was warned by the dentist that the company was in financial difficulty.
The dentist told her to ask for a refund for work yet to be completed but she was unable to get her money back.
Ms Bishop said she was a "mess" when she learnt Supercare Dental and Cosmetics had gone into voluntary administration.
"I don't know how they sleep at night," Ms Bishop said.
"I spoke to the Tax Office and there's nothing they can do."
Ms Bishop has made a claim to the administrator for $22,000.
She has had no follow-up appointments for her upper teeth implants and her tongue does not sit properly in her mouth.
Ms Bishop's lower teeth remain unfixed.
"I now can't afford to get that work done and just have to live with it."
David, who did not want his last name used, withdrew $13,000 from his superannuation but about four months into the treatment, was told by Supercare Dental and Cosmetics that his dentist had left and the work could not be finished.
Emails earlier this month from Supercare Dental and Cosmetics's "customer success coordinator" informed David the company was in voluntary administration and the dentists that practised from their clinics were "independent and responsible for their own treatment and patient care".
Even though David paid Supercare Dental and Cosmetics directly, the staff member advised him to contact the treating dentist at his new clinic.
That dentist told ABC News his lawyer had advised him to stop treating Supercare Dental and Cosmetics patients because he had not been paid for months and was owed tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid wages.
Ms Amourous — who is still wearing her superglued dentures, which cause her pain — said she was also told to directly contact the dentist who did the work to pursue any claims.
Emails provided to ABC News show Supercare Dental and Cosmetics staff told Ms Amourous "as a facility provider, we are not the ones who performed the treatment" and said they could assist her to sue the dentist who treated her.
"Compensation must be pursued through Dr. [name redacted] insurance or via legal action against Dr. [ name redacted] directly]," the email stated."We are happy to refer you to a solicitor who specialises in these types of cases if you would like legal representation to pursue compensation directly from Dr. [name redacted]."
Ms Amourous said she was then told that after the dentist personally refunded her, she could then pay that money back to Supercare Dental and Cosmetics for a second time to do the repairs.
Eventually, Ms Amourous was seen by a new dentist at Supercare Dental and Cosmetics last year, who she said agreed the work was not up to scratch and offered to fix it.
Shortly after that, the new dentist advised he was not being paid either and had left the clinic.
Almost three years after the process started, Ms Amourous is still waiting to have her teeth fixed.
At 53 years old, she cares for four children, including one with a disability.
She remains toothless and said she would never have enough superannuation to comfortably retire.
"I have been through horrific physical pain. I've kind of been screaming out for somebody to hear me."
"Something's got to be done about this," she said.
Supercare Dental and Cosmetics did not respond to questions before deadline.
A creditors meeting is due to be held this Thursday.
By national health reporter Elise Worthington and the Specialist Reporting Team's Celina Edmonds
It offered what seemed like the ideal solution: a full mouth of dental implants, giving her the perfect smile.
The cost was $48,000, but they reassured her they would help the single mother of four apply to the tax office to access her superannuation.
"I have never spent that kind of money ever in my life. I literally jumped at the chance because it's not anything I would ever be able to afford on my own," Ms Amourous said.
Three years later, she has lost more than half her total superannuation balance, cannot eat without removing her teeth, has a bleeding mouth and has had to superglue her broken temporary implant dentures together so she can leave the house.
Melinda Amourous' first interaction with Supercare Dental and Cosmetics was almost three years ago. (ABC NEWS: Chris Taylor)
"I've become a recluse," she said.
"I've missed birthday parties, weddings, school reunions — all sorts of things — because there was just no chance in hell I was putting myself out there for people to look at me with no teeth in."
Despite dozens of emails and phone calls to the Kotara Supercare Dental and Cosmetics clinic and its owners, Ms Amourous has been unable to have the work repaired.
ABC News can reveal that Supercare Dental and Cosmetics was struggling to keep staff after repeatedly failing to pay its dentists.
Ms Amourous is among hundreds of patients across the country who have paid millions of dollars up-front for dental work not yet completed at Supercare Dental and Cosmetics clinics, according to a report to creditors.
The NSW Health Care Complaints Commission has begun an investigation into the company's Kotara branch after reviewing documents from Ms Amourous showing the standard of care she received.
"They are highly, highly unprofessional. I have been through horrific physical pain as well," Ms Amourous said.
"Do not go anywhere near them."
Clinics in administration as patients chase refunds
ABC News has spoken to more than a dozen former staff and patients of Supercare Dental and Cosmetics after two of its clinics at Kotara and Tuggerah and a related entity, Usman Dental Pty Ltd, were placed into voluntary administration last month.Late Tuesday, the NSW Supreme Court ordered Usman Dental Pty Ltd be wound up and a liquidator appointed to take control of the company. A hearing will be held to determine the fate of the Tuggerah clinic later on Wednesday.
Ms Amourous says she's become "a recluse" since the ordeal began. (ABC NEWS: Chris Taylor)
Supercare Dental and Cosmetics has three other NSW clinics — at Penrith, Wilton and Corrimal.
As of last week, the company was still taking bookings for new patients at some clinics, even as patients battled to get their money back for unfinished treatment.
A preliminary report issued to creditors revealed the three entities under administration had a deficit of $5.76 million.
There were more than 441 patients between the Kotara and Tuggerah clinics who appeared to have paid over $2.1 million for dental work yet to be delivered, the administrator's report to creditors stated.
Much of that money, according to patients and former dentists who worked for Supercare Dental and Cosmetics, was likely to have come from patient superannuation balances.
On May 14, the Kotara and Tuggerah clinics posted on Facebook confirming they had entered voluntary administration. They reassured patients the practices would continue to "operate as normal and all scheduled and ongoing treatments are proceeding as planned".
A report issued to creditors noted that the administrator's review found "the companies clearly traded while insolvent" and that at least one of the companies "became clearly insolvent by 30 June 2024, however there remains arguments for an earlier date of insolvency".
The combined report to creditors noted Ms Usman may be guilty of two offences under the Corporations Act — failure to exercise due care and diligence and failure to prevent insolvent trading, both of which can carry civil penalties.
Five dentists who worked for the company told ABC News they were collectively owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in wages and were concerned for patient welfare.
Several former staff described the company as "predatory" and "aggressive" in pushing patients to withdraw their superannuation to pay for treatment plans, costing tens of thousands of dollars.
"I've noticed they kept increasing prices, they were at $70,000 for the most expensive treatment but I noticed them trying to increase to $80,000 or $100,000 for a full mouth of implants," one dentist told ABC News.
"They are very aggressive in pushing people to take out their superannuation," the dentist said, adding patients were often lower- to middle-class with little financial literacy or way of accessing cash other than from their superannuation."
Concern about rates of super use for dental work
The case reflects a growing concern about the rising number of Australians who are applying for compassionate early release of superannuation to fund medical and dental procedures, with more than a billion dollars accessed last financial year.Dental treatment made up more than half that number, surging to half a billion dollars last financial year — a figure that has more than tripled in the past three years.
Xavier O’Halloran says businesses helping patients access their super to pay for surgical and dental work "engage in pretty questionable activities". (ABC News: Daniel Irvine )
The Australian Tax Office (ATO) allows patients to withdraw their superannuation to pay for medical and dental work to treat a life-threatening illness or injury, or to alleviate acute or chronic pain.
ATO rules do not allow superannuation to be used for cosmetic dental procedures.
Despite that, multiple Supercare Dental and Cosmetics advertisements spruiked that dental implants and porcelain veneers "to achieve the smile you've always wanted" were "potentially affordable through your super fund".
"The kind of businesses set up around this practice engage in pretty questionable activities," he said.
"Some charge fees of around $700 in order to just access super from the ATO, which is a free process, so no one should be paying for that."
Mr O'Halloran said some patients did not realise you needed to pay an extra tax of up to 22 per cent when withdrawing superannuation early, which can already have a huge impact on your super balance at retirement age.
"If you're taking out something in the order of $50,000, you could pretty easily be in excess of $100,000 worse off by the time you retire," he said.
"The promotion of these kind of early release schemes leave a lot to be desired and I don't think the promoters have the best interests of consumers at heart.
"We can see that through the excessive fees and the coaching practices that have been involved in order to get people to take their money out of super," Mr O'Halloran said, adding it was a practice he believed should be banned.
Patients left 'heartbroken'
Supercare Dental and Cosmetics patients have had little success getting their money back even after multiple complaints to the ATO, fair trading and healthcare regulators.Newcastle woman Clorissa Bishop said she was left "heartbroken", $22,000 out of pocket and with unfinished dental work, as a result of Supercare Dental and Cosmetics's Kotara clinic going into voluntary administration.
Ms Bishop, 42, took $55,000 out of her superannuation to fix lifelong issues with her teeth and gums. She says she was also taxed an additional $15,000 when withdrawing her superannuation.
Supercare Dental and Cosmetics assisted her to get approval from the ATO and Ms Bishop transferred them the entire amount, as required under the contract she signed.
Treatment to have her top teeth removed and replaced with implants began at the Kotara clinic in August 2024, with a dentist who flew in from the Gold Coast.
Halfway through the treatment, Ms Bishop says she was warned by the dentist that the company was in financial difficulty.
Ms Bishop said she was a "mess" when she learnt Supercare Dental and Cosmetics had gone into voluntary administration.
"I don't know how they sleep at night," Ms Bishop said.
"I spoke to the Tax Office and there's nothing they can do."
Ms Bishop has made a claim to the administrator for $22,000.
She has had no follow-up appointments for her upper teeth implants and her tongue does not sit properly in her mouth.
Ms Bishop's lower teeth remain unfixed.
"I now can't afford to get that work done and just have to live with it."
'Something's got to be done'
A former patient of the Tuggerah clinic said Supercare Dental and Cosmetics exaggerated his condition in documents submitted to the ATO by saying he was in a lot of pain when he was not.David, who did not want his last name used, withdrew $13,000 from his superannuation but about four months into the treatment, was told by Supercare Dental and Cosmetics that his dentist had left and the work could not be finished.
Emails earlier this month from Supercare Dental and Cosmetics's "customer success coordinator" informed David the company was in voluntary administration and the dentists that practised from their clinics were "independent and responsible for their own treatment and patient care".
Even though David paid Supercare Dental and Cosmetics directly, the staff member advised him to contact the treating dentist at his new clinic.
That dentist told ABC News his lawyer had advised him to stop treating Supercare Dental and Cosmetics patients because he had not been paid for months and was owed tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid wages.
Ms Amourous — who is still wearing her superglued dentures, which cause her pain — said she was also told to directly contact the dentist who did the work to pursue any claims.
"Compensation must be pursued through Dr. [name redacted] insurance or via legal action against Dr. [ name redacted] directly]," the email stated."We are happy to refer you to a solicitor who specialises in these types of cases if you would like legal representation to pursue compensation directly from Dr. [name redacted]."
Ms Amourous said she was then told that after the dentist personally refunded her, she could then pay that money back to Supercare Dental and Cosmetics for a second time to do the repairs.
Eventually, Ms Amourous was seen by a new dentist at Supercare Dental and Cosmetics last year, who she said agreed the work was not up to scratch and offered to fix it.
Shortly after that, the new dentist advised he was not being paid either and had left the clinic.
Almost three years after the process started, Ms Amourous is still waiting to have her teeth fixed.
She remains toothless and said she would never have enough superannuation to comfortably retire.
"I have been through horrific physical pain. I've kind of been screaming out for somebody to hear me."
"Something's got to be done about this," she said.
Supercare Dental and Cosmetics did not respond to questions before deadline.
A creditors meeting is due to be held this Thursday.
By national health reporter Elise Worthington and the Specialist Reporting Team's Celina Edmonds
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