COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A woman accused of working as a dentist without a license is now under a new investigation.
Channel 2 Action News confirmed the Marietta Police Department is now joining Paulding County Sheriff's Office in the investigation.
We first reported last week that Krista Szewczyk faces a 48-count indictment in Paulding County for practicing dentistry without a license, forgery and insurance fraud and unlawful prescriptions. The alleged incidents date back to 2013 and a now-defunct business that state records show were registered to the woman's husband.
Szewczyk was arrested in a Cobb County office, where Marietta police said they have opened a new, second investigation into a separate business called County Dental.
“Given the size or the scope of the case, it’s going to take us a week or two to gather information and conduct interviews,” said Marietta police spokesperson Officer Chuck McPhilamy.
The Georgia Board of Dentistry also confirmed the new probe to Channel 2 investigative reporter Nicole Carr, noting state law prohibits them from revealing details to anyone other than law enforcement and licensing agencies. Neither County Dental nor Szewczyk have been placed under a cease and desist order list, they said.
Cobb County Bureau Chief Chris Jose ran into one of Szewczyk's patients at police headquarters on Tuesday. That's where Olin Chastain said he filed a complaint with an investigator. He learned about Szewczyk's indictment on television.
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"I heard about it on Channel 2 Action News," he said. (I want to) see what I can do to get reimbursed or get my teeth fixed because I pretty much have to glue my teeth in every day and it's annoying."
About a half-hour later, Chastain went to the County Dental office on Roswell Street to retrieve his records, showing five visits since 2016 for temporary crown work. His latest procedure was done in March, but he didn’t tell the office he was filing a complaint on Tuesday.
Chastain told Carr that Szewczyk talked about the Channel 2 Action News cameras when he was inside.
"She acknowledged Channel 2 was out here?" Carr asked.
"Yes, and they locked all the doors, and she told all the patients y'all were out here," Chastain said.
"She said she wasn't dealing with it today?" Carr asked.
“Yes, she said she wasn’t dealing with it today,” he answered. “Her husband’s in there also.”
Carr called into the office on Tuesday afternoon, identified herself and asked to speak with Szewczyk. After being placed on a brief hold, the line went dead. The business hung up on Carr several times
Right after her 5 p.m. report, Carr spotted Szewczyk and her husband getting into their car. Szewczyk would not let her window down to speak with Channel 2 Action News about the allegations.
While several patients have come forward describing dental horror stories at the hands of Szewczyk, patients Carr spoke with on Tuesday praised the work they'd had done.
Three patients told Carr they'd never actually been seen by Szewczyk, rather another, male dentist. One patient, who didn't wish to provide her full name, told Carr that Szewczyk explained why Channel 2 Action News was outside on Tuesday.
“Well she said something like she’s been seeing patients without a dentist, but we just had a great experience with a dentist, so I wouldn’t say she was doing that,” said a patient who identified herself as Arianna C. “She wasn’t even in our room.”
Marietta police said they want to hear from patients of the Cobb location who may have experienced trouble.
Cox Media Group
