Florida Criminal Attorney Blog
A suburban Lake Worth woman who was previously arrested for practicing dentistry without a license was arrested last week on similar allegations, according to authorities.
As of last week, she was being held at the Palm Beach County Jail with no bail.
The 34-year-old doctor was arrested in April on charges that she prescribed painkillers despite having a suspended license. According to Palm Beach County court records, she was scheduled to go to trial later this month.
The woman is the owner of Terrific Smiles, with offices in West Pam Beach and North Palm Beach.
The state Department of Health suspended the woman’s license in October, claiming that she posed a danger to the public with her previous behavior.
However, deputies recently learned that the woman was still practicing and according to patients, apparently performed substandard work.
According to a sheriff’s arrest report, a woman claims the former doctor performed several root canals on her in March and April. The woman told police she suffered pain and was not given antibiotic medications for the pain following the surgeries.
The woman said she consulted other dentists, who advised that the root canals were not properly performed and would need to be done again.
According to investigators, she paid the woman $8,000 for the work.
Investigators apparently spoke to another patient who said he received dental care from the woman during May and June. The man claims the woman requested a cash payment from him though he had dental insurance.
He allegedly paid $3,141 for a root canal procedure.
The man told investigators that after experiencing ongoing pain he was referred by another dentist to a specialist. According to the report, the specialty dentist concluded that the root canals were not performed properly and advised the man to request a refund.
The man alleges that the woman did not return his calls.
Detectives have reason to believe there are additional victims, but no other patients have come forward at this time.
If you have been accused of or charged with practicing dentistry or dental hygiene without a license in Florida, understand that the prosecution views this type of charge just as seriously as practicing medicine without a license. These accusations are no laughing matter – in fact you could be facing serious criminal felony charges. Practicing dentistry without a license is classified as a third-degree felony that is punishable by up to five years in prison. In addition to time behind bars, other penalties are usually tacked on to this charge including substantial fines. As this case demonstrates, charges of this nature often arise from unhappy patients or other dentists in the area who will call police to drum up an investigation. It is not uncommon for undercover investigators to enter the dental facility and act as patients to gather evidence for the prosecution.
If you or someone you care for is currently under investigation for or has been charged with practicing dentistry without a license in Lake Worth, Jupiter, Boca Raton or the surrounding areas, please contact a Palm Beach County Criminal Defense Lawyer at Whittel & Melton today for a free confidential consultation at 561-367-8777. We can provide you with the aggressive legal defense you need to beat these charges.
Photo credit: César Augusto Serna Sz / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND