In a small Czech town, a 22-year-old man, his mom, and his dad spent two years running a dental clinic out of their house. The catch? None of them were dentists. They just…watched videos online.
According to police in Havlickuv Brod, the son posed as a dentist, the mom handled anesthesia and materials, and the dad made prosthetics. Their patients—dozens of them—got extractions, root canals, and fillings. All are completely unlicensed. All completely real.
Authorities say the family made nearly $185,000 before someone finally caught on. The trio has since been arrested and charged with operating an illegal business, attempted assault, drug dealing, theft, and money laundering. All three pleaded guilty. If convicted, they face up to eight years in prison.
Czech Family of 3 Accused of Running a Fake Dental Clinic
“A 22-year-old man posed as a dentist, although he lacked the necessary professional knowledge,” police said in a statement, shared by BBC. He apparently relied on internet videos for everything from pain management to dental impressions. His mother, a nurse, allegedly supplied him with stolen materials like anesthetics, filling compounds, and dental glue. His father built fake teeth.
This wasn’t just some back-alley operation with pliers and a prayer—they had a functioning setup with patients, appointments, and enough confidence to stick around for two full years. The wildest part? There’s no official word on whether any of the patients even complained.
Fake dentist cases aren’t exactly rare in the Czech Republic. Roman Šmucler, head of the country’s national dental chamber, says he gets around 10 reports a year. “I have two more submissions today,” he told local outlet Radiožurnál.
Still, this one stood out. It wasn’t just one guy winging it with a drill. It was a whole family operation, complete with a black-market supply chain and enough hustle to turn a side gig into a six-figure haul.
The clinic is shut down now, and the internet is predictably losing its mind. Because really—how do you go in for a root canal and not realize your dentist got his degree from YouTube?
Moral of the story: If someone’s offering dental work for suspiciously cheap, maybe ask to see their license. Or at least check their browser history.
The post This Family Ran a Fake Dental Clinic for Two Years Using Online Tutorial Videos appeared first on VICE.
