Phony dentist accused of leaving person in severe pain

A woman in Texas who was allegedly posing as a dentist was arrested after reportedly giving a root canal to a patient, leaving the person in severe pain, according to multiple reports published on October 23.

Angelica Vivas, 41, was arrested on charges of violating the Texas Dentistry Act and was released on a $50,000 bond. As part of her bond conditions, Vivas cannot advertise or offer dentistry services and is prohibited from performing any dental procedure.

Vivas reportedly lied to the patient, claiming to be a qualified dentist. She allegedly performed a root canal on the patient in February 2024, leaving the individual in pain. When police visited Vivas' office, she reportedly claimed to be a dentist and offered to perform dental services on the officers, according to reports.

Vivas is the latest person to be arrested for unlicensed dentistry within the last few weeks.

On October 15, Jonathan Colombo, 31, of Orange Township, NJ, was arrested and charged with practicing dentistry without a license. Also, Colombo is accused of sexually assaulting a woman after giving her veneers. He has not been charged with assault, but the investigation is ongoing.

In another case this month, Luis Antonio "Dr. Antonio" Perez Juarez, of Las Vegas, was arrested for allegedly operating an illegal dental practice out of a California salon where he used "extremely unsanitary" dental tools. He is accused of leaving patients with severe dental problems.

Also in October, a man who refers to himself as Atlanta's top veneer specialist was charged with eight felonies for illegally practicing dentistry without a license for years. Brandon Dillard was charged with practicing dentistry without a license, practicing medicine without a license, and theft by deception after police raided the business, which reportedly housed dental equipment and looked like a legitimate practice.

In September, Fredy Felipe-Pascual, 31, was arrested for the second time in six months for reportedly operating an illegal dental practice in Indiana. He was arrested after police responded to a medical call at a mobile home park. In March, Pascual was charged with practicing dentistry without a dental license and criminal mischief after police received a tip that he was providing dental care at his home.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.