A Houston woman has been charged with practicing dentistry without a license after a botched root canal left a patient with severe pain, according to court documents. Angelica Vivas, 41, was arrested after she allegedly claimed to be a qualified dentist and performed the procedure on a patient in February.
The patient, who later spoke with KPRC 2, endured not only the failed root canal but also had two molars extracted by Vivas in the process. "When Vivas took out two of her molars trying to get to the tooth that needed a root canal, but couldn’t," the patient suffered excruciating discomfort. The patient recounted how Vivas, unable to complete the procedure, sent her home with pain meds and the advice that the root would eventually come out on its own. The total cost suffered by the patient was $1,100, paid entirely in cash.
After a legitimate dentist corrected the damage, the patient has been left unable to feel the left side of her face, according to details shared by KPRC 2. The same dentist urged the victim to contact law enforcement about Vivas' practice. Undercover police were subsequently sent to Vivas' office, wherein she again misrepresented herself as a dentist, offering to perform work on the officers.
Vivas, from the Katy area – a western suburb of Houston – is now facing legal repercussions for her unlicensed medical practice. On Tuesday, she was taken into custody and her bail was set at $50,000. As reported by The News Tribune, Vivas is prohibited, as part of her bond conditions from advertising or providing any dental services.
Today marks her scheduled court appearance to face charges of violating the Texas Dentistry Act. Both KPRC 2 and The News Tribune disclosed Vivas' arrest and the subsequent investigation into her unauthorized dental work.
