Police: Fake Florida Dentist Pulled 10 Teeth, Made Dentures

Police: Fake Florida Dentist Pulled 10 Teeth, Made Dentures
(Robert Kneschke/Shutterstock)
The Associated Press
12/12/2016
Updated:
12/12/2016

BRADENTON, Fla.—Authorities say a 53-year-old Florida man faces charges after he extracted 10 teeth without anesthetic and made dentures during house calls to save people money.

The Bradenton Herald reports Robert “Robbie” Rheinlander claimed he was a dentist in South Carolina before moving to Florida. He was arrested Wednesday on a charge of practicing dentistry without a license.

A couple told a Manatee County Sheriff’s detective in September that Rheinlander extracted the woman’s tooth, leaving a tooth fragment that caused medical problems. When they researched Rheinlander, they found he wasn’t a dentist.

He was arrested after an undercover detective arranged to meet him for dental work. Jail records don’t indicate whether Rheinlander has a lawyer.

Records show Rheinlander was licensed as a dental technician in South Carolina between 2004 and 2006.