State Stops Fake Dentist

Monday, March 5th 2007, 1:06 pm

By: News On 6

A man doing dental work out of his apartment has been stopped thanks in part to a News on 6 investigation. The State Board of Dentistry got involved with Fransisco Franco after a News on 6 investigation revealed he was treating patients without a license. News on 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright broke the story, she reports one of Fransiscoâ€™s patients got a terrible infection that sent her to the hospital, and another woman paid more than a thousand dollars for dentures that never fit.

Nadia had a terrible toothache, so she went to a man her husband knew about, Fransisco Franco. She paid him $500 and he put two crowns on her teeth, all the dental work was done inside his South Tulsa apartment. After her dental work Nadia developed a terrible infection and ended up in the hospital, then at another dentist.

"That other dentist said it was such a deep rooted cavity, the other guy did a really bad job," said Nadia.

Franco had shown Nadia an Oklahoma license hanging on his wall. He showed us the same one when we showed up after making a dental appointment. But that license was a fake; Franco had never been licensed to do dental work in Oklahoma, even though he told us he'd been doing it for 15 years.

Our investigation got the attention of the Oklahoma Dentistry Board and the Attorney General, who did their own investigation.

Franco had a hearing with the state last week, but didn't show. Court papers say he admitted back in December that he did not have a license and he had been doing dental work. He agreed to a permanent injunction against doing any more dental work in Oklahoma. The state also revoked Franco's dental laboratory permit; it allowed him to make appliances, like bridges and partials, only with a prescription from a licensed dentist.

Franco was not charged with a crime in this case, although it is a misdemeanor in Oklahoma to practice medicine without a license. The state is just pleased he's not practicing dentistry anymore, the victims however probably have no way to get their money back.

For more background on this story, click on the links below to read additional stories about Fransisco Franco.

10/11/2006 - Tulsa Man Is Doing Illegal Dental Work Out Of An Apartment

10/27/2006 - Illegal Dental Work Prompts State Investigation

12/11/2006 - State Gets Permanent Injunction Against Tulsa Man Who Performed Dental Work In His Apartment