A 70-year-old Long Island woman has been charged with practicing unlicensed dentistry from the kitchen of her one-bedroom apartment, authorities say.
Gladys Serrano pleaded not guilty Monday to unauthorized practice of a profession, a felony, and was released to pre-trial services with electronic monitoring. She was also ordered to surrender her passport and told not to leave the state.
According to the charges, a victim contacted the woman through a referral to schedule a single tooth extraction on July 26, 2024. The victim went to her office, which was allegedly located in a one-bedroom apartment on Greenwich Street in Hempstead with a hanging curtain dividing the kitchen.
After a brief visual examination, the fake dentist allegedly told the victim that a total of five teeth needed to be extracted because they were rotting, and that the victim would also need a bridge. The defendant allegedly extracted the teeth, gave the victim paper towel to absorb the blood and told her to rinse with salt water.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox.> Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
The victim was instructed to return to see the defendant several times after the extractions took place. The victim never got a bridge that fit her mouth, despite having additional molds taken over a six-month period.
The Nassau County District Attorney said Serrano may have had dental training in El Salvador, and it is believed she marketed her bogus practice to Spanish speaking patients.
The defendant is due back in court in early January and faces up to four years in prison if convicted.
Local
A search warrant executed at the woman's residence uncovered a curtain hanging in the kitchen and a patient chair positioned near a sink, with drawers full of dental instruments that appeared to be used, impression molds, extraction tools, tartar scrapers, and a large container containing what appeared to be numerous empty vials of medication and used dental needles.
Boxes labeled as single-use dental needles, Amoxicillin capsules, Relaflex, and Lidocaine were also recovered.
If you believe you or someone you know has been victimized, contact the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office of Immigrant Affairs at 516-571-7756.
