Operated out of Her Kitchen Inside Her Apartment
A Hempstead woman was charged with practicing unlicensed dentistry from the kitchen of her one-bedroom apartment.
According to the charges, a victim contacted Gladys Serrano through a referral to schedule a single tooth extraction on July 26. The victim went to Serrano’s office, which was allegedly located in a one-bedroom apartment on Greenwich Street with a hanging curtain dividing the kitchen.
After a brief visual examination, Serrano allegedly told the victim that a total of five teeth needed to be extracted because they were rotting, and that the victim would also need a bridge. Serrano allegedly extracted the teeth, gave the victim pieces of a paper towel to absorb the large amount of blood coming from the area, and told her to rinse with salt water. The victim was instructed to return to see Serrano several times after the extractions took place.
Between August 16 and December 4, the victim returned to Serrano’s apartment in an attempt to obtain the dental bridge. Despite the defendant taking additional molds of her mouth and filing down the impressions, the victim never received a bridge that fit her mouth. Between July 26 and December 4, Serrano received a total of $1,950 for dental services.
A search warrant executed at Serrano’s residence uncovered a curtain hanging in the kitchen and a patient chair positioned near a sink, with drawers full of dental instruments that appeared to be used, impression molds, extraction tools, tartar scrapers, and a large container containing what appeared to be numerous empty vials of medication and used dental needles. Boxes labeled as single-use dental needles, Amoxicillin capsules, Relaflex, and Lidocaine were also recovered.
A search of New York State records conducted failed to disclose any individuals licensed to practice dentistry in the State of New York with the name of Gladys Serrano.
Serrano, 70, surrendered to Nassau County District Attorney Detective Investigators on December 10. She was arraigned before Judge Charles G. McQuair on one count of Unauthorized Practice of a Profession (a Class E felony). She pleaded not guilty and was released to pre-trial services with electronic monitoring. She was also ordered to surrender her passport and restricted from traveling outside of New York State.
Serrano is due back in court on January 8, 2025. If convicted, the defendant faces up to four years in prison.
“Practicing dentistry without proper authorization poses an incredibly serious risk to public health and safety,” said Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly. “This defendant’s alleged home operation endangered the well-being of at least one person in need of dental care. ”
Anyone who believes they, or someone they know, have been victimized by Serrano are asked to call the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office of Immigrant Affairs at 516-571-7756.