Woman wanted for illegal dentistry operation in LA: police

The parents of a 15-year-old girl weren’t smiling when their daughter came home with a brand new set of braces that they didn’t pay for, according to Louisiana authorities.

Now St. Bernard Sheriff’s deputies are looking for a woman accused of practicing dentistry without a license.

An arrest warrant was issued Friday for 28-year-old Aireon Davis of Arabi, the sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook. She’s wanted on charges of unlawfully practicing orthodontics in St. Bernard Parish, just southeast of New Orleans.

“During the course of the investigation, detectives learned Davis was advertising the illegal orthodontic business on Instagram under the account ‘bracee_yourself’ and running it out of her apartment,” authorities wrote.

It was the teen’s parents who tipped off police about the illegal operation in June. The girl’s parents told police Davis installed the braces without their permission, then billed them for it.

It’s unclear how much she charged, but comprehensive orthodontic treatment, including braces, typically runs between $3,000 and $10,000, Healthline reported, citing a 2018 survey from the American Dental Association.

Deputies obtained a search warrant for Davis’ apartment where they found “various dentistry tools and orthodontic supplies,” according to the sheriff’s department. Davis wasn’t home, police said, and still had not been located as of Tuesday.

Authorities said the incident remains under investigation.

Anyone with information on Davis’ whereabouts, or who has been a victim of her illegal dentistry is asked to call the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office at 504-271-2501.

Tanasia is a national Real-Time reporter based in Atlanta covering Georgia, Mississippi and the southeastern U.S. She also covers retail and consumer news. She’s an alumna of Kennesaw State University and joined McClatchy in 2020.