Wisconsin Police Investigate Unlicensed Dentist
Police in Wisconsin are investigating a woman who claims to be a dentist after two boys were left with severe swelling and pain. The woman, who is from Waukesha is suspected of providing dental care without a license.
Police searched a property on South Grand Avenue on Friday 30th August after a mother reported that her son had suffered inflammation, bleeding and pain after visiting the so-called dentist at her home. The mother told police that she paid the woman $1,000 for her 12 year old son’s braces, which she claims were fitted too close to the gums resulting in irritation, swelling and pain.
Dental experts said that the price of treatment is enough to suggest that the woman is working without a license, as the fees would be significantly higher at a dental office. Paul Levine, from the Wisconsin Dental Association, said that unlicensed dental treatment is a major problem; in this case, with cheap orthodontic treatment, there is a risk that the brackets may come loose, resulting in a choking hazard and there are no guarantees that treatment will actually work.
An undercover police officer visited the property on South Grand Avenue seeking braces for his 11 year old daughter and found elastic bands, bonding materials and orthodontic tools at the house. The officer was told that the cost of treatment would be $350 and then $50 per monthly visit. The woman told the officer that the total cost of treatment would be $900, which was a much better price than dentists would charge, which she estimated at $5,000.
Fox News contacted the mother of one of the two boys who had visited the illegal dentist and she confirmed that her son’s braces had been removed and he was now in the care of a licensed dentist.
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