The dental industry has seen an uptick in cases of individuals performing unlicensed dentistry across the U.S.
Here are 11 cases Becker’s has covered so far this year:
1. Jeannie del Carmen Lara was arrested July 9 after being served with warrants for two counts of violating the Texas Dental Practice Act. Ms. Lara allegedly practiced as a “mobile dentist” during the COVID-19 pandemic, performing services in patients’ homes despite not having a dental license.
2. The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics shut down an illegal dental practice being run out of an apartment complex earlier this month. The bureau served a search warrant on an apartment complex in Tulsa as part of an ongoing investigation in partnership with the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry and Homeland Security. The dental practice was allegedly discovered during the search.
3. Monica Davis, operator of The Veneer Experts in Schaumburg, was sentenced to two years of probation for practicing unlicensed dentistry. In addition to probation, she was also issued a $512 fine.
4. Emily Brannon, 34, allegedly presented a fake license to Byrd Dental Group in Douglasville, Ga., which was altered to appear issued by the Georgia Board of Dentistry, according to authorities. She was arrested in June on suspicion of practicing dentistry without a license and forgery of a dental license.
5. Three people in Emporia, Kan., were charged with practicing unlicensed dentistry in May.
In addition to the unlicensed dentistry charges, one of the suspects was also charged with human smuggling, identity theft and dealing in false identification documents. The other two suspects were also charged with unlawfully obtaining prescription drugs.
6. Cesar Augusto Perez Mejia was arrested in March and charged with assault and practicing dentistry without a license. He allegedly used pliers to pull out a woman’s tooth during a dental procedure, causing it to break and damaging her jaw.
7. A New York woman was charged with running an illegal dental practice inside of a house. Yolany Mejia Carranza, 55, was arrested after detectives executed a search warrant at a home in Huntington, N.Y., and discovered a fully functioning dental office.
8. Uriel Cortes, of Hesperia, Calif., was charged with prescribing a controlled substance without treatment, furnishing controlled substances, forging or altering a prescription, unauthorized practice and practicing dentistry without a valid license.
9. A man from Hidalgo, Texas, was arrested on suspicion of practicing dentistry without a license or permit. Gerardo Casas, 50, was charged with three counts of dentistry act violations for allegedly performing tooth removals and measuring for dentures on three individuals.
10. An Ecuadorian man was sentenced for conspiracy to introduce misbranded drugs into interstate commerce. Daniel Pinos, 30, reportedly traveled to the U.S. several times to provide dental care and prescription drugs in return for payment, despite not being licensed to do either.
11. A Pennsylvania woman convicted of working as an unlicensed dental assistant was sentenced to at least 18 months in prison. Ms. Horne was arrested in April 2024 after pretending to be licensed to perform functions including installing crowns and bridges, filing down fillings, administering local anesthesia and assisting with root canal surgeries.
