Thursday, September 13, 2012

Another Case of an Illegal Dentist Harming Patients



Humberto Francisco Perez, 81, of Little Havana was arrested after he allegedly performed unlicensed dentistry on a teenager and left her disfigured. Photo Credit: Miami-Dade Corrections / Miami-Dade Corrections

These cases are popping up all over the United States.

Three people were charged with child abuse after a dentist operating out of a home left a 14-year-old girl with permanently disfigured teeth.

And now the victim’s mother is speaking out, urging others to use licensed dentists and never trust anyone who is performing dentistry out of their home.

“The message is that people have to be careful with what they do,” said Claribel Agramonte, the victim’s mother. She told CBS4′s Peter D’Oench, “I was just trying to help my daughter and look what happened.”

Miami police on Wednesday busted a couple and their daughter at a home-operated dental office at 1039 SW 11th Street in Little Havana, according to Miami police spokeswoman Officer Kenia Reyes.

Humberto Perez, 81; Maria Perez, 69; and Odalis Hernandez-Perez, 41, were arrested and were charged with performing dental services without a license and two charges of child abuse, said a statement from Officer Reyes. Maria Perez and Odalis Hernandez-Perez bonded out of jail late Wednesday night.

Again, the states should begin lobbying Congress to pass a federal license register for state-licensed dentists. There already is one for the Drug Enforcement Agency to permit dentists to write prescriptions for controlled substances.

Then, at the very least, patients could research their dentist online to find out if they hold a valid license to practice

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