Man learns about dentistry on YouTube; what happens next is shocking

Man learns about dentistry techniques on YouTube, and what happened next is shocking.

Attending dental school is expensive.  So is going to the dentist.  Some people take a creative approach to this difficult situation. But would you choose such a practitioner?

One 25-year-old in Malaysia used YouTube videos and dentistry magazines to learn how to do dentistry. Afterwards, he was able to open his own clinic and do procedures on patients.  They say you can learn anything on YouTube…….

 

The young man, Mohamad Irwan Mohd Sudi from Kuantan, Malaysia, apparently took the YouTube suggestion to heart until one client got suspicious and reported him to police.  When authorities came to investigate, he was forced to close his doors and was charged under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998.  He ultimately paid a $9,000 fine and is probably now off learning some new skill.

Closer to home, another man was a legitimate dental technician and moved to Florida to step up his skills.

Robert Rheinlander, 53, began doing dental procedures for cash from his home and the homes of his patients. Not constrained by the niceties of a dental office, Rheinlander served patients from a reclining chair in his living room.  Among other things, he made dentures and removed teeth, sometimes without anesthesia.

One local couple kept him busy. The wife had 11 teeth pulled, but Rheinlander left part of one tooth in the jaw. The husband had multiple teeth pulled and developed some complications as well.

When the couple did a search for Rheinlander, they discovered he was not a real dentist.

Not everyone had a bad experience with the faux dentist. Another main had a total of 10 teeth removed and saved $1,800 because of Rheinlander’s low rates.

Those low rates are going away since Rheinlander was charged with practicing dentistry without a license.

What can we learn from these stories?  Each state maintains a dental licensing board.  Consumers would do well to check the status of their dentist before submitting to their care.

For me, the recliner would have been a dead giveaway.

[Feature Photo: Handout]