Unlicensed Dentist Arrested

West Palm Beach, Fla.- Deputies have arrested a West Palm Beach man who they say was performing dentistry without a license.  They say 37 year old Luis Sanchez was pulled over for running a red light April 2.  A deputy saw a bag of stainless steel dental instruments in car.  Sanchez explained he had been a dentist in Cuba and also worked as a dental assistant in Florida.  He said he had lost his job recently and did dental work on his friends to "make extra money" although he is not licensed to practice as a dentist in the state of Florida.

Deputies say they found dental instruments in his car, some of them rusty or with traces of blood on them.  They say he also had a generic form of novocaine in his car and in his apartment.  They found various dental supplies and tools in his apartment on Forest Hill Boulevard, includng syringes, plaster impressions of teeth and an autoclave which is used to sterilize dental instruments.   Anyone who was a patient of Luis Sanchez is asked to call Deputy Steve Tzirtziropoulos at the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office at (561) 904-8275.   Sanchez is charged with unlawful possession of prescription legend drugs, and operation of an unlicensed dental lab.