A New Jersey woman was caught in February 2026 after allegedly practicing dentistry without a license.
 |
| Female dentist with patient; credit: SoyBreno on Unsplash |
Investigation into a Fraudulent NJ Dentistry Practice
People reported that Ana Amato was arrested on Feb. 19 after a "months-long" investigation into her dentistry that began after charging a man $1,000 for a root canal. The man found her services from an ad on WhatsApp.
The South River Police Department Chief Mark Tinitigan said the following in a press release:
"This is certainly not the type of case we see every day, but it affirms our officers approach every call - routine or not - with the same level of professionalism and commitment to public safety."
Sgt. Peter Roselli and Officer Peter Szukics from the South River Police Department took a report, which first appeared to be a routine call. They quickly learned it was not a normal dispute between two people.
During that call, the police officers discovered revealing information that Amato may have been performing dental procedures without a proper license.
Detective Patrick Molina then spent months looking into the incident, and the police determined that Ana Amato of Old Bridge was practicing dentistry without a license.
A Man Found out Mid-Root Canal She Would Not Finish the Procedure
After seeing an ad in a WhatsApp group chat, a man agreed to pay the unlicensed Amato $1,000, with a $300 down payment for a root canal. He went to her office on Sept. 22, 2025. She proceeded to inject his gums with an anesthetic and then began drilling into his affected tooth. Then, mid-session, she "abruptly" stopped and told the man to come back later in the week so she could finish the procedure.
Before he came back to her office for the remainder of the procedure, Amato allegedly told the man that she "wouldn't be able to do it and gave him a list of local dentists." At this point, the two "got into an altercation," because she would not return his down payment.
He then took his complaint about the unlicensed Amato to the local police station.
The South River Police Department executed a search warrant at Ana Amato's office on Feb. 19, 2026, where she was arrested and items were seized for the investigation.
Amato was charged with second-degree aggravated assault, third-degree unlawful practice of dentistry, and third-degree financial facilitation of criminal activity.
Details of the Investigation can be read in the Facebook post below:
 |
| credit: South River Police Department |
Sources:
Goldman, Jeff. "Fake dentist advertised on WhatsApp, tried to perform a root canal, court docs say." NJ.com. 2 March 2026.
Phillipp, Charlotte. "Woman Accused of Impersonating a Dentist After Starting a Root Canal on Patient." People.com. 8 March 2026.
South River Police Department on Facebook.
