'Atlanta's top veneer specialist' denied bail and accused of being a fake dentist after raid – WSB-TV Channel 2

ATLANTA – A Fulton County judge denied bail for the man accused of making millions by performing cosmetic dental procedures without a license.

Brandon Dillard had his first hearing in the Fulton County Jail.

Judge Holly Hughes told Dillard she believed there was a risk he would continue to do the procedures if he was released on bail.

“I do think he’s a risk. And the risk isn't necessarily that he'll shoot a gun at people. There is also a risk if you practice as a doctor or dentist without the appropriate license. “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 without a license for years.

Justin Gray, Channel 2 consumer researcher broke the story of Dillard's arrest Thursday at 6 p.m. on Channel 2 Action News

Channel 2 action news Was there as an investigator for the Fulton County District Attorney and Atlanta Police Department raided the offices of A List Smiles Atlanta in northeast Atlanta on Thursday.

The company has 157,000 followers on Instagram and has been operating since 2021. However, the warrants against Dillard say he is not a licensed dentist and illegally performed veneer procedures.

Prosecutors say Dillard received a cease-and-desist letter from the state dental board earlier this year but continued to perform the veneer procedures.

Kristi Brown says she paid Dillard $3,000 for partial veneers and planned to go back and get more teeth done.

But she said her dentist immediately noticed something was wrong during her regular teeth cleaning.

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“He kept asking who did it. You have to be careful. Did he have a dental certificate? I thought, I don't remember seeing any of it. I should have known,” Brown said.

“Brandon Dillard is not a dentist. He has never been a dentist. And as much as he might want to play one on Instagram, he isn't one,” Fulton County Assistant District Attorney Will Wooten said.

Only a licensed dentist can legally perform the veneer procedures offered by Dillard in Georgia. But A List Smile's social media pages feature the smiles of supposedly happy patients and promote offers like raffle contests for $5,500 in veneer treatments.

Prosecutors allege Dillard made more than $4 million by charging thousands of dollars not only for veneers but also for training others to become veneer specialists or technicians.

Veneer specialists and technicians are not legally available in Georgia.

“It's very important that we find out who the other technicians are that came in thinking they had learned a new craft and were practicing it,” Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said.

While pictures of smiling customers look good on social media, Dr. Robin Reich, former president of the Georgia Dental Association, said veneer procedures are medically complicated.

“There could be infection, inflammation, poor margins, jaw problems or speech problems. None of this can be seen in a picture,” said Reich.

Dillard is charged with eight felonies, including practicing dentistry without a license, practicing medicine without a license and theft by deception.

“It looks serious. It looks professional. And that’s part of the fraud,” Wooten said.

The DA's office is asking patients and people trained by Dillard to come forward.

Willis says that while she currently views Dillard-trained veneer specialists as victims, she will also face criminal prosecution if they continue to practice without a license.

“They lured people into taking these courses so they could get rich too. But you got rich doing something that was completely illegal,” Willis said.

Any patient, trainee or other potential victim is asked to contact the Fulton County District Attorney by email at [email protected].

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