Florida never fails to deliver a headline that makes you stop mid-scroll, and this one is enough to make your jaw drop and ache. In Pinellas Park, authorities say a woman posing as a dental professional used crazy glue to attach veneers to patients’ teeth. What was supposed to be an affordable shortcut to the perfect smile instead turned into a dental nightmare filled with pain, infections, and bills in the thousands.
The woman behind the scandal, Emely Martinez, wasn’t a dentist at all, though she sure knew how to market herself online. Florida investigators revealed that Martinez billed herself on social media as a veneer expert and invited clients to the Tapp Inn Beauty Bar, promising bargain-priced, full-mouth smile makeovers. For patients desperate for that Hollywood grin, the deal sounded irresistible: $3,000 for 24 veneers. Compare that with licensed dentists who typically charge $900 to $1,500 per tooth, and you can see why so many people took the bait.
But as the saying goes, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Instead of dental-grade materials, Martinez reportedly used plain old crazy glue, the kind you’d find at a hardware store, to attach veneers. Unsurprisingly, this left victims in excruciating pain, facing infections, broken teeth, and long-term damage.
Florida Woman Performs Illegal Dental Work Using Crazy Glue
The fallout has been brutal. Patients who thought they were saving money have now been forced to pay even more to undo the damage, shelling out thousands to actual licensed professionals for emergency repairs. For some, the emotional toll has been just as heavy as the financial one. After all, trusting someone with your smile is no small thing.
And here’s the kicker: this wasn’t Martinez’s first brush with the law. She had already been arrested back in March in Hillsborough County for similar offenses, but apparently decided to keep running her dental hustle under different business names. That level of audacity almost feels cinematic except it’s real life, and people’s health has been put at risk.
Naturally, social media erupted once the story broke. Others couldn’t believe patients had been duped into thinking a beauty bar was the right place to get full-mouth dental work done. But in today’s world, where Instagram aesthetics can outweigh common sense, it’s not shocking that people were drawn in by the promise of a picture-perfect smile at a bargain price.
Are Dental Costs Causing People To Look For Cheaper Options?
Authorities in Florida are now digging deeper, investigating whether Martinez attempted other dental procedures, like extractions, or even worked on minors. The case has left the community shaken, and it’s a sharp reminder that health shortcuts often come with devastating costs.
“That’s awful for the victims who desperately dream of a beautiful smile they didn’t deserve that,” one person commented. “Money hungry,” stated another. “Why are dental costs so high?” a third person asked.
Florida may be famous for its outrageous headlines, but this one is both disturbing and heartbreaking. The victims weren’t looking for drama; they just wanted a boost of confidence. Instead, they got pain, infections, and a harsh reality check. If nothing else, let this serve as a warning: when it comes to your teeth, there’s no such thing as a discount miracle.
Hunter Spears 
Kenna Raye 
