2 Admit Doing Dental Work Without Licenses

Two North Hollywood men accused of subjecting a woman to hours of agony after they allowed a dental mold to harden in her mouth pleaded no contest Thursday to misdemeanor charges of practicing dentistry without a license.

Oscar Moran and his brother, Marvin, will be sentenced Sept. 15.

In a plea bargain, the city attorney agreed not to seek more than six months in jail for Oscar and three months for Marvin in return for their no-contest plea. Pleading no contest is the same as a guilty plea, but cannot be used against the defendants in a lawsuit.

Oscar, 22, and Marvin, 23, were charged in March with three and two counts, respectively, of practicing dentistry without a license. Each violation carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $3,000 fine.

Deputy City Atty. Ruth Kwan said she also will ask Municipal Court Commissioner D. Joseph Spada to order the defendants to reimburse the woman who suffered under their care. The woman has been told by dentists that it will cost $3,000 to repair the damage.

Patricia Cook, 22, of Sylmar told investigators that she went to Oscar Moran’s apartment, which he was using as a dental office, complaining of a toothache. Moran pulled two teeth and drilled four others, then used a mold containing plastic to make an impression for crowns.

According to City Atty. James K. Hahn, Moran left the room after putting the hot plastic mold over her front teeth. “By the time he got back, the plastic had hardened and he couldn’t get it off.”

“Moran, along with his wife and sister-in-law, who also were in the apartment, hammered on the mold and struggled for an hour to remove it,” Hahn said. “Meanwhile, the pain killer had worn off and the woman was in agony.”

Finally, according to authorities, Moran telephoned his brother, Marvin, owner of a dental laboratory in Los Angeles. Marvin went to the apartment and both men worked to get the mold off Cook’s teeth.

Cook said she learned about Moran from her brother, who met him at a North Hollywood car wash.

The two men were not in court Thursday. In misdemeanor cases, defendants are not required to show up so long as they are represented by an attorney.