HOUSTON — Dr. Farid Noie has been practicing medicine for nearly 30 years and said he was astonished at the damage he had to repair on a recent patient.
The patient had a dental procedure done by a woman who's now charged with practicing dentistry without a license.
Noie, a doctor of dental surgery, said those who try to save money on medical procedures by going to someone who's not qualified can oftentimes end up doing harm.
His recent patient didn't want to reveal her identity out of fear of retaliation. She went to Angelica Vivas to have a root canal but after the procedure, she knew something wasn't right.
"It's heartbreaking. I mean, it just is hard to fathom," Noie said.
After the woman reported Vivas to police, she was arrested and is now facing two felony counts of practicing dentistry without a license. Prosecutors think there might be more victims.
Noie said that if the cost of dental work seems too good to be true, it probably is.
"People actually seek out places without doing their complete research simply because of the price," Noie said.
Noie said that in recent years, there have been other similar cases in which people who were licensed dentists in other countries have come to the United States and continue practicing dentistry, despite the different regulations. Other people, Noie said, could be dental assistants who take on their own patients.
"They watch their dentist do the work and they think, 'Oh, I can do this,'" he said.
Dr. Timothy Kirkpatrick with UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry said dental health is extremely important and low-cost options are available.
"It's not a quick path to become a dentist. Our motto at the dental school is 'improving oral health, improving overall health,' because the mouth is, you know, the gateway to the body," Kirkpatrick said.
Noie said that getting work done by someone who's unlicensed in order to save money could cost you your life.
"They have all of these licenses for a reason -- to protect the public -- and I really encourage the public to do their homework," Noie said.
UTHealth offers low-cost clinics with their student dentists who are supervised by licensed professionals.
You can check the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners to see if a dentist has an active license.