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Unlicensed Dentist Arrested in CA for Putting Patient Lives at Risk

Apparently dental care is a booming industry, including to those who are practicing unlicensed dentistry. In a recent article in the Huffington Post, a Moorpark, California man has been accused of practicing unlicensed dentistry from his apartment bathroom.

After a month long investigation, authorities recently arrested William Escobar for claims that the man gave anesthesia injections and dental cleanings to people from his bathroom.  This all came about because one of his customers complained to authorities following what he felt was unusual swelling in his gums.

The Dangers of Unlicensed Dentistry

Authorities claim that when they entered the suspect's apartment, they found an array of dental equipment and medications from the dentist's chair to anesthesia and even orthodontic equipment.  Authorities are now hoping to add charges of illegal orthodontics to the charges of felony practice of dentistry without a license, misdemeanor furnishing of  dangerous drugs and possession of needles.  Authorities are seeking the help of additional patients.

Dentistry may be expensive, but it requires years of medical training in order to extract teeth, work with bodily fluids, and to know what to do in the event a patient has a reaction to drugs used. By practicing without a license, these illegal street dentists put patients' lives at risk in the following ways:


  • bacterial or fungal infections
  • contamination
  • passing of diseases through bodily fluids
  • allergic reactions
  • damage to a patient's teeth, gums, jaw
  • death
Patients who survived these illicit dental appointments should count themselves lucky that they weren't infected with deadly bacteria or that they didn't experience allergic reactions or death.  When it comes to paying for expensive dentistry work, the answer should be to seek insurance, not to trust your life to an unlicensed and unskilled charlatan.

If You Have Been Injured

When community members take these kinds of heavily regulated health care practices and take them underground, patients can suffer.  Patients may suffer a range of symptoms, some of which can forever change someone's life or end it altogether. If you have seen an unregistered dentist and suffered harm, you may be able to collect compensation for your injuries.  Call a skilled personal injury attorney today for help.