70-year-old ‘fake’ dentist held in US; practiced in kitchen, extracted 5 teeth for $2,000

A 70-year-old Long Island woman has been arrested for allegedly operating an illegal dental practice out of her kitchen, where she extracted five teeth from a victim who paid her nearly $2,000, the New York Post has reported, quoting prosecutors.

Gladys Serrano, from Hempstead, was charged this week with practicing dentistry without a license after investigators discovered she had turned her one-bedroom apartment on Greenwich Street into a makeshift dentist’s office. According to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, Serrano extracted the teeth of a woman who initially sought her help for a single tooth extraction on July 26.

However, once the victim arrived at Serrano’s kitchen – separated by a hanging curtain – the so-called “dentist” informed her that five teeth needed to be removed due to severe decay. Serrano allegedly carried out the extractions, using paper towels to soak up the blood and advising the woman to rinse with salt water afterward.

Serrano also told the patient she would need a dental bridge, and over several months, the woman visited Serrano multiple times between August and December. Despite Serrano making molds and filing down impressions, the victim never received a bridge that fit her mouth, prosecutors said. During these visits, the woman paid Serrano a total of $1,950.

Authorities later searched Serrano’s apartment and found a disturbing array of used dental tools, including extraction instruments, impression molds, tartar scrapers, and medication vials. They also recovered dental needles and capsules of antibiotics and anaesthetics, though Serrano was not licensed to administer these treatments.

“Practicing dentistry without proper authorization poses an incredibly serious risk to public health and safety,” Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said. “This defendant’s alleged home operation endangered the well-being of at least one person in need of dental care.”

Serrano pleaded not guilty to one count of unauthorized practice of a profession, a class E felony. If convicted, she faces up to four years in prison.