Theft of $32K-plus worth of dental ovens stumps authorities

Four porcelain ovens worth at least $8,000 each and used exclusively to make ceramic dental restorations were stolen from a dental laboratory in Washington, leaving investigators puzzled by the caper, according to a story published on April 22 by Fox13Seattle.com.

The April 20 burglary at Custom Dental Aesthetics in University Place, WA, left authorities with more questions than answers, considering the equipment is used for something so specific. Further, the crooks left behind items often considered more attractive to other buyers, like computers and drugs, according to the story.

Surveillance video from the business showed that at about 6 a.m., two masked suspects smashed the front door of the dental lab and used a black wagon to steal the four ovens, which are used to make dental crowns and bridges, and placed them into a minivan.

Mike Shelley, the owner of the lab, said this was the first time he has experienced such a burglary, and the heist appeared to be a "coordinated crime," according to the story.

However, this case seems similar to one that occurred in 2016 in Atlanta. In that case, a man was using a stolen porcelain oven to operate an illegal dental practice. The victim of the stolen oven found it for sale online. When the victim went to meet the seller about purchasing it, the victim saw that the serial number matched the one that had been stolen from his business.

Though authorities acknowledged some similarities between the two cases, police stated there was nothing else tying them together at this time, according to the story.