A 36-year-old Waukesha woman has been accused of practicing dentistry out of her home without a license, allegedly performing orthodontic work on a 12-year-old boy who later suffered from pain and bleeding gums.
Noemi N. Aguilera, 1517 S. Grand Ave., was charged April 2 in Waukesha County Circuit Court with practicing dentistry without a license and recklessly causing great bodily harm to a child.
According to the criminal complaint, the Waukesha County Community Dental Clinic, 210 N.W. Barstow St., first reported to police last July that they had seen two separate patients injured by shoddy dental work.
One man had sustained permanent injury to his teeth as a result of braces put on by a 'Noemi Lares,' the complaint states, later identified as the defendant. He did not wish to pursue charges.
The second patient was a 12-year-old boy who had been brought in to the nonprofit dental clinic complaining of pain, bad breath and moderate bleeding. The boy said in the complaint that he had the braces installed by an unknown woman while he laid down on the couch in her home.
An examination revealed that dental cement coated the boy's teeth and gums, causing inflammation, bleeding and pain. The doctor said that if the cement had not been removed, it could have resulted in abscesses and bone loss.
The child's father told police in the complaint that the braces had been installed in March at a house on 1517 S. Grand Ave. He provided police a phone number for Aguilera.
An undercover officer arranged to meet Aguilera to discuss some orthodontic work. The woman met with him on Aug. 22 and said it would cost $350 for installation and $50 every month for adjustments.
The officer revealed his identity and Aguilera allegedly admitted to conducting orthodontic work for the past six months, according to the complaint. She said that she previously worked as an assistant in a dental office, but had failed a test to become a certified orthodontic assistant three times.
She said that she would sometimes see as many as 10 patients a day in her home. Police later recovered a calendar book that showed she had 281 appointments for adjustments scheduled, the complaint states.
The State of Wisconsin Dental Licensing Board confirmed that Aguilera was not licensed to practice dentistry, the complaint states.
She faces up to 16 years imprisonment and $51,000 in fines if convicted.
Aguilera made an initial appearance in court on April 7. She was released on a $3,000 signature bond and prohibited from conducting any dental work or possessing any specialized dentistry tools or equipment.
A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Thursday, May 1.