Poser Dentist
December 14, 2016
Robert “Robbie” Rheinlander, a 53-year-old Florida man, was arrested last for reportedly posing as a dentist. he performed several dentist procedures from a reclining chair in his living room. Those procedures included making dentures and removing teeth, sometimes without the use of anesthesia.
Rachel Potter, one of Rheinlander’s victims, claims that he pulled out 11 of her teeth. During one of those occasions, he left part of the tooth in her jaw. Furthermore, James Potter, Rachel’s husband, also had various teeth pulled out by Rheinlander; James developed dry socket after one of the procedures (“Dry socket occurs when the blood clot at the site of the tooth extraction has been dislodged or has dissolved before the wound has healed. Exposure of the underlying bone and nerves results in intense pain, not only in the socket but also along the nerves radiating to the side of your face,” says Mayo Clinic). Later on, the couple searched for Robert Rheinlander online, and they realized that he is not a real dentist.
Another man had 10 teeth removed by Rheinlander; he claims that Robbie’s low prices saved him $1,800.
The Bradenton Herald reported that Rheinlander affirmed that he was a dentist in South Carolina, where he had lived beforehand. But he was only licensed as a dental technician from February 2004 to March 2006; he had been “disciplined” by the South Carolina Board of Dentistry during that time. The reason for his discipline has not published in the Bradenton Herald.
Rheinlander has been charged with practicing dentistry without a license; he was released on Thursday, December 8th on a $1,500 bond, as reported by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.