Dramatic Bodycam Footage Shows Moment New Jersey Woman, 49, Is Arrested for 'Impersonating a Dentist' — After Botching a Root Canal Procedure
Ana Amato was arrested for allegedly running a fake dental practice.
April 13 2026, Published 12:40 p.m. ET
Newly released police bodycam footage reveals the moment officers in South River, New Jersey, surprise and arrest a woman who was allegedly practicing dentistry without a license, RadarOnline.com can report.
Ana Amato even attempted a root canal on a patient, which was not successful.
Investigation Results
Amato was confronted by officers outside her office.
After a month-long investigation, police could be seen on bodycams raiding Amato's "dental office." While the 49-year-old was originally not there, officers did find and detain two other women, who they assumed were employees of Amato.
However, they soon discovered the women were actually operating their own illegal business, and were paying $750 a month in rent to run an unlicensed nail salon within Amato's unlicensed clinic. Bottles of nail polish could be seen on the walls of the room.
After admitting to doing nails without a license, the ladies were released and allowed to leave the building.
When Amato finally did arrive, she confessed to performing dental procedures without a license. She also admitted she was able to get anesthetics and other supplies from other doctors and dentists, bypassing licensed vendors.
A search of her building yielded a pair of dental chairs, drills, resins, and lidocaine.
Amato's 'Failed Practice'
She advertised her services on social media.
As Radar reported, Amato advertised dental services—including root canals—through WhatsApp group chats, charging patients up to $1,000.
One victim claimed that he went to Amato for the procedure, alleging that the 49-year-old would-be dentist injected anesthetic, drilled into his tooth, and began a root canal before abruptly stopping mid‑procedure and sending him home.
Days later, she told him she couldn’t finish the work and gave him a list of dentists in the area who could. When she further refused to refund the patient's $300 deposit, he marched down to police – complete with the bloody gauze in his mouth, and filled out a report.
The Tooth Hurts
Police found dental equipment and chairs during their raid
Amato was charged with unlawful practice of dentistry, aggravated assault and financial facilitation of criminal activity. Her case is still pending.
While the investigation is still ongoing, South River Police Chief Tinitigan praised his officers' response to the situation thus far.
"What began as a routine dispute call demonstrated exactly why thorough police work matters," Tinitigan said in a statement. "Sgt. Roselli and Officer Szukics recognized that something did not add up and took the extra steps necessary to protect the public."
He further commended the Detective Bureau for its sustained efforts.
"Det. Molina’s persistence and attention to detail were instrumental in seeing this investigation through and securing these charges."
The Chief concluded this is "certainly not the type of case we see every day, but affirmed our officers approach every call – routine or not – with the same level of professionalism and commitment to public safety."
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Social Media Reaction
Amato confessed to operating without a license.
Reaction to the accusations brought up a varitey of responses on social media, with many questions like: "How do you even start a root canal without even knowing how to finish one?", "Where did she get the dental equipment?" and "Who looks for a doctor on WhatsApp?"
Another person noted: "I choose doctors in a variety of ways… through my insurance portal, recommendation from a friend or family member, even a local FB group… never on WhatsApp."
While one person tried to defend the ordeal: "I've heard stories about 'dentists' who work out of basements and cater to people with no dental insurance. Not that my dental insurance is that great... but dental work can be really expensive. I guess some people are willing to take a chance, if the price is right."
