New Jersey woman arrested for fake dentistry after she failed to finish a root canal
A New Jersey woman has been arrested after allegedly performing dental work without a license and leaving a patient with an unfinished root canal, according to police.
Investigators said the patient scheduled an appointment with Ana C. Amato of Old Bridge after seeing her advertise dental services in a WhatsApp group chat, South River police reported.
The man told officers he agreed to pay $1,000 for the procedure. When he arrived for his Sept. 22 appointment at Amato’s office in South River, the 49-year-old allegedly injected his gum with an anesthetic.
Police say Amato then drilled into the man’s tooth and began the root canal procedure but suddenly stopped before completing it. She told him to return later in the week to finish the work.
Before that follow-up appointment could happen, however, Amato informed the man she would not be able to complete the procedure and instead gave him a list of local dentists who could finish the job, according to police.
When the patient later returned to the office to retrieve the $300 down payment he had made, Amato allegedly refused to return the money. Police said the disagreement led to an altercation.
The man reported the incident to police on Sept. 27, arriving at the station with gauze in his mouth and still bleeding.
South River police launched an investigation and determined that Amato was not licensed to practice dentistry. Authorities say cases like this have become more common as unlicensed services are advertised through social media.
Amato was arrested and charged with unlawful practice of dentistry, aggravated assault, and financial facilitation of criminal activity, according to South River Police Chief Tinitigan.
“What began as a routine dispute call demonstrated why thorough police work matters,” Tinitigan said. “Sgt. Roselli and Officer Szukics recognized that something did not add up and took the extra steps necessary to protect the public.”
The case remains under investigation. Police are asking anyone with additional information to contact Det. Molina at 732-254-9002 ext. 113.
Amato could not be reached for comment.
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