Sydney dentist pleads guilty to assaults

A Sydney dentist who exploited elderly nursing home residents by unnecessarily filing down their teeth to make extra money has pleaded guilty to further assault charges.

Andrew Istephan was found guilty of five counts of assault in 2013 after he performed unnecessary dental work on elderly nursing home residents, some of whom had dementia.

He was due to face trial on seven remaining charges this week but instead pleaded guilty to three assault occasioning actual bodily harm charges at Sydney's District Court on Wednesday, prompting the crown to drop the other matters.

The offences relate to work Istephan carried out on three nursing home patients across Sydney in 2011 while he was contracted by an organisation, then named Elderlink, to undertake government-funded dental work.

The former Liberal deputy mayor is currently serving the final months of his two-year sentence for the previous charges.

He has been serving this term in the community by way of an Intensive Corrections Order.

In sentencing the then 34-year-old in 2013, Judge David Frearson said he had engaged in the "deliberate, callous and systematic exploitation of the residents with the view of financial reward".

Motivated by greed, Istephan had been "arrogantly dismissive" of the fundamental human right for bodily integrity, the judge said.

Judge Frearson found Istephan had carried out unnecessary work, filing down the teeth of elderly patients in order to fit them for crowns they did not need.

He is set to return to court for sentencing in December.