Another Immigrant Practicing Illegal Dentistry In Georgia

Johns Creek, GA

WSB-TV reports that a Colombian woman, living in Georgia under a visa, is under investigation by local police and Homeland Security with practicing dentistry without a license in her home in Johns Creek, Georgia.

Several similar incidents of immigrants practicing dentistry from residential homes have been reported over the past year in various areas of the state.

Local officials and qualified dental professionals urge patients of the illegal dentists to be tested for various diseases. "They probably want to go to a medical doctor now and be tested for hepatitis, AIDS," said dentist Alan Parnes.

Quote:

Homeland Security and Johns Creek police are investigating an alleged illegal dental office operating inside a home.

Claudinette Varon-Castro is facing multiple charges for allegedly operating an illegal dentist office inside a home on Ogeechee Drive.


Officials said Varon-Castro had much of the needed equipment to do the job but she didn’t have a dentistry license.

"It did not look like a business operation from the outside," said neighbor Sharon Ferrar.

"We believe there's illegal dental work going on," said Capt. Brian Weaver with the Johns Creek Police Department.

The first floor of her home in a quiet Johns Creek neighborhood is where Varon-Castro practiced her skills, according to investigators. Authorities told Channel 2 her patients were usually immigrants who may not have understood how dangerous her dental practice could be.

Ferrar, said she understands the risks because her father is a licensed dentist in another state.

"I don't know how safe it is to come in and have X-rays and dental procedures out of somebody's home," said Ferrar.

Channel 2 attempted to talk with Varon-Castro, a native of Colombia, but was unsuccessful. Investigators said she had hundreds of prescription pills and other medicines inside her home as well. Homeland Security is also looking in to the case.

"(We don't know) whether the tools are being thouroughly sanitized or cleaned like they should be and whether or not (patients) have been exposed to radiation when you have the X-ray machine. That's real, real scary," said Weaver.

Varon-Castro, who is in the United States on a visa, is out on bond. She faces several charges including practicing dentistry without a license.

WSB-TV

More Illegal Immigrant Back Alley Dentistry

Lawrenceville, GA

Police have shut down another illegal dentist's office, the second in just two weeks, this time in an apartment in Gwinnett County. Authorities say that maintenance personnel at the Wesley Place apartments on Sweetwater Club Drive in Lawrenceville entered the apartment to fix a water leak and discovered a fully operational dentist office.

A 29 year old immigrant, Jesus Urdaneta-Casanova was arrested at the scene on felony charges of practicing medicine without a license. Earlier this month police in Carroll County arrested an illegal immigrant who was also practicing dentistry in home without a license.

Quote:

LAWRENCEVILLE - The maintenance crews were investigating a water leak at Wesley Place apartment complex Wednesday afternoon when they found a fully functional dentist office

They called police who arrested Jesus J. Urdaneta-Casanova, 29, and will charge him with practicing medicine without a license, a felony.

"It is unknown how long or how many patients Casanova has treated," said Cpl. Darren Moloney, Gwinnett County Police Department spokesman. The investigation is ongoing and further details were not available.

The maintenance people were looking into a leak at unit 1011 at the complex on Sweetwater Club Drive.

Gwinnett Daily Post

Illegal Immigrant Practices "Back Alley" Dentistry In Carroll County

Carrollton, GA

An illegal immigrant from Honduras has been arrested in Carroll County charged with practicing dentistry without a license in a house in Carrollton. Police say that Ernesto Estrada, 31, has ran an illegal dentist practice from his living room for at least four months.

Carroll County police say they found a homemade appointment book inside the home indicating that Estrada may have had more than one hundred "clients", most of whom are also believed to be illegal aliens. Other records found in the home, including numerous Western Union receipts show the illegal immigrant "dentist" charged from $200 to $1,000 for various procedures and sent most of the money to his family in Honduras. Neighbors say the had noticed an unusual amount of traffic in and out of the home.

Estrada, who was deported from the U.S. back in 1999 and crept back in, has no formal medical or dental training nor license, yet he performed dental procedures ranging from applying dental caps to extracting teeth in his living room as his wife and children watched. Police say the back-alley dentist had no sanitation method and used common household drills, box-cutters, needle-nosed pliers and other tools that could be purchased at any hardware store.