4/27/06

Farkat Khodhair, a self-proclaimed dental-implant specialist, went to jail Tuesday after a Department of Health investigator found that he was practicing dentistry without a license.

Authorities say Khodhair has been running a shop called Frank’s Grills in Port Richey, Fla,  for the past 6 to 12 months. Khodair’s business was built on installing grills, the gold or jewel-encrusted dental jewelry recently popularized by the song “Grillz,” a collaboration between Nelly and grill pioneer Paul Wall. A police officer from an undisclosed town in Pinellas County visited Frank’s Grills on April 11 to inquire about a custom-made implant. According to a probable-cause affidavit, she and Khodhair worked out a $350 deal to gold-plate six of her lower front teeth. Khodhair is said to have mixed a casting compound, put it in her mouth on a tray, and told her to bite down for 2 minutes. She returned to the shop 6 days later, laid down the rest of the cash, and got the grill. 

Khodhair left jail Tuesday on $5,000 bond. This is not the first time he has had a grill business shut down. St. Petersburg police arrested him on a similar charge in 2003. The bottom line, according to Lt. Robert Sullivan of the Pasco County Sheriff’s office, “You can’t mess with someone’s teeth for a fee.” But if you do, make sure you have a license to grill.