Is your dentist a fake?

Josh Dean and Rory Scovel begin by joking that the mouth is a “sacred space” reserved for lovers and dentists, then admit they rarely floss despite brushing. They say floss feels satisfying but is poorly designed, and Josh suggests negotiating with “big floss.” The dental hygiene discussion introduces the episode’s warning: listeners should vet their dentists before opening their mouths. They cite Monica Bailey of suburban Chicago, who found Dr. Monica Davis through social media. Davis put braces on Bailey and her daughter, then disappeared; Bailey learned Davis had recently been arrested in Las Vegas for practicing without a license. A real dentist said the braces were merely glued-on cosmetic objects.

Josh explains that medieval “guild barbers” cut hair, performed dental operations, and handled basic surgery. Modern dentistry separated from hair salons in 18th-century France after scientific training and writing developed, then spread to the American colonies. Paul Revere was not only a revolutionary rider but is considered America’s first forensic dentist. The first dental school opened in Baltimore in 1840, offering the DDS and creating a national dental organization. Yet America had only about 300 trained dentists for a population of 17 million, so many patients relied on freelancers or “street dentists.” By 1923, New York had more than 1,000 dental parlors.

The hosts describe Edgar R. R. Parker, known as “Painless Parker,” a Philadelphia Dental College graduate who nevertheless chose sidewalk dentistry. He charged 50 cents per extraction and promised patients five dollars back if it hurt, using diluted cocaine as an anesthetic. He hired musicians, wore a top hat and a necklace of teeth, and in 1913 created a traveling dental circus with a former P. T. Barnum employee. A planted audience member appeared to receive a painless extraction, while real patients followed; when they screamed, Parker tapped his foot and the brass band played louder. Accused of false advertising in 1915, he legally changed his first name to Painless. Despite revoked licenses and lawsuits, he employed more than 240 people and reportedly earned over $3 million annually.

The modern cases are more dangerous than theatrical. Yolani Mejia Carranza allegedly practiced dentistry for eight years on Long Island without any license and reportedly gave patients extractions without anesthesia. She faced three counts of unauthorized practice, pleaded not guilty, and was released under supervision. In San Antonio, Cedro de Jesus Maharis was arrested after performing an eight-hour procedure involving two extractions, a grinding tool, and anesthesia administered 12 times. Josh and Rory compare the experience to a real-life Saw film, but emphasize that patients of these practitioners are genuine victims: scammers target people without insurance and leave them with painful, botched work costing thousands to repair.

The hosts warn that “veneer technician” is not a legitimate dental license; veneers must be placed by a licensed dentist. Emily Martinez ran a Florida strip-mall beauty bar offering nails, lashes, and veneers, charging $2,500 for a full set even though standard veneers can cost $800 to $2,500 per tooth. She allegedly applied them with nail glue. At least two clients suffered infections and disfigurement, while others needed emergency surgery after having teeth super-glued. Atlanta operator Brandon Dillard built A-List Smiles to look legitimate, attracted 157,000 Instagram followers, treated influencers and reality stars, taught veneer-tech classes, and made about $4 million before his October 2024 arrest. An online group exposed complaints of broken teeth, abscesses, nerve damage, and discoloration.

Josh says Italy’s Dentist Association found in 2010 that one in five Italian dentists was unqualified; one Roman practitioner was allegedly a plumber who had filled and extracted teeth for 20 years. They also recount Italian dentist Guido Russo’s 2021 attempt to use a silicone arm to avoid a COVID vaccine, which failed when medical workers recognized it was fake. In the Czech Republic, a 22-year-old man, his mother, and his father ran a dental clinic from their home for two years. The son learned from YouTube, the mother handled anesthesia and supplies, and the father made prosthetics. They performed root canals, extractions, and fillings, earned more than $185,000, pleaded guilty, and faced charges including assault, theft, drug dealing, and money laundering.

The hosts examine Tom Elam’s Arizona business, Denture Adventures, which shared a building and phone number with a laundromat offering showers. Elam argued that he only made dentures and did not work inside patients’ mouths, and Arizona did not license dental laboratories or their technicians. He claimed his qualifications were years working for a dentist and having a dentist father-in-law. A news investigation found that police had arrested him for selling meth from the laundromat and that he had also faced stolen-property and drug-paraphernalia charges. After a local dentist complained, the state board initially said the information did not prove he was practicing dentistry. The county eventually charged Elam with practicing dentistry without a license; he took a plea deal and served no jail time.

Lane looks up the hosts’ dentists on state dental-board websites. Josh’s former dentist is licensed as of 1990, and Rory’s dentist is also licensed, though the checks reveal that neither host knew much about the people working in their mouths. Lane says he is about 90% sure he once visited an unregistered dentist. That practitioner told him a tooth did not need drilling but offered to drill it anyway, prompting the hosts to question why a medical professional would ask a patient to authorize unnecessary work. They recommend using a state government website to verify a dentist’s license, while noting that Arizona’s board site did not clearly list impostors despite a law requiring complaints to be investigated and names to be posted.

For the final game, Lane asks Josh and Rory to identify the times when historical events occurred. They guess the first World Trade Center plane strike at roughly 7:45 p.m. or 11:30 p.m.; the correct time was 8:46 a.m. They nearly match the 1901 first transatlantic wireless message, which was sent at 12:52 p.m., and guess around 11:30 p.m. for the Titanic’s collision at 11:40 p.m. They miss John Lennon’s shooting time and the wedding times of British royals, then struggle to remember the “canoe man,” John Darwin, and when he entered a London police station after faking his death. The episode closes with the show’s recurring credits and a final reminder to verify dentists and floss.