ATLANTA — A Fulton County judge has denied bond for the man accused of making millions performing unlicensed cosmetic dentistry.
Brandon Dillard made his first appearance inside the Fulton County Jail.
Judge Holly Hughes told Dillard she believed there was a risk he could continue to serve the proceedings if he was released on bail.
“I think it’s a risk. And the danger isn’t necessarily that he’s out there with a gun shooting people. There is also a risk when you practice medicine or dentistry without the proper licenses. Things can go horribly wrong,” Hughes said.
He calls himself Atlanta’s top veneer specialist, but the Fulton County District Attorney says Brandon Dillard has been practicing dentistry and medicine for years without a license.
Channel 2 consumer researcher Justin Gray broke the story of Dillard’s arrest Thursday on Channel 2 Action News at 6 p.m
Channel 2 Action News were there as the Fulton County District Attorney and Atlanta police officers raided the Northeast Atlanta offices of “A List Smiles Atlanta” on Thursday.
The company has 157,000 Instagram followers and has been in business since 2021, but arrest warrants for Dillard say he is not a licensed dentist and illegally performed veneers.
Prosecutors say Dillard was sent a cease and desist letter from the State Board of Dentistry earlier this year, but continued to perform the veneer procedures.
Kristi Brown says she paid Dillard’s $3,000 for some veneers and planned to go back and do more teeth.
But she said her dentist immediately noticed something was wrong when she went in for a routine cleaning.
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“He kept asking who did this. You have to be careful. Did he have a dental certificate? I was like, I don’t remember seeing any of that. I should have known,” Brown said.
“Brandon Dillard is not a dentist. He was never a dentist. And as much as he wants to play one on Instagram, he’s not,” Fulton County Deputy District Attorney Will Wooten said.
Only a licensed dentist can legally perform the veneers that Dillard’s offers in Georgia. But A List Smile’s social media pages showcase the smiles of satisfied patients and promote promotions such as sweepstakes for $5,500 worth of veneers.
Prosecutors allege that Dillard has earned more than $4 million by charging thousands of dollars not only for veneers, but also to train others to be veneer specialists or technicians.
There are no legal veneer specialists and technicians in Georgia.
“It’s very important to find out who the other technicians are who came in, thought they learned a new trade and were running it,” Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said.
While photos of smiling clients look good on social media, Dr. Robin Reich, past president of the Georgia Dental Association, says veneer procedures are medically complex.
“There can be infection, inflammation, bad margins, jaw problems, speech problems. None of that is visible in a photo,” Reich said.
Dillard is charged with eight felonies, including practicing dentistry without a license, practicing medicine without a license and theft by deception.
“It seems reliable. It looks professional. And that’s part of the scam,” Wooten said.
The DA’s office is asking people who were patients and people who were trained by Dillard to come forward.
Willis says that while she considers the veneer specialists trained by Dillard to be victims, if they continue to practice without a license they will also face criminal charges.
“They were getting people to come and take these classes so you could get rich too. But you were getting rich doing something that is completely illegal,” Willis said.
Any patient, practitioner or other potential victim is asked to contact the Fulton County Attorney by email at Fcda.fraudtips@fultoncountyga.gov.
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