More patients left stuck with braces speak out after Raleigh provider closes

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- There are new details in an ABC11 Troubleshooter investigation that found that dental patients were left with braces on their teeth after the provider closed up shop. The Troubleshooter is hearing from more patients who say they want their money back so they can get treatment from a licensed provider.

The woman behind The Smiling Face Company, Ebony McBean Grady, admitted to Troubleshooter Diane Wilson that she was not licensed to do the orthodontic work, but claims she had a licensed dentist who always oversaw the treatment. Some patients are now telling Wilson they never saw this doctor.

One of those patients is Seanti Bullock. She said McBean Grady put braces on her teeth in May.

"She's not as expensive as, like, other places, so I wanted to go to her," Bullock said.

She said her consultation and X-rays were done through Zoom.

"When we were on Zoom, she would tell me like, smile and then like, like, turn my head and, like, she would do like, I guess you'd say pictures and stuff through the screen," Bullock said.

She said she went into The Smiling Face office in Raleigh, where McBean Grady put the braces on her teeth, and there were no problems until her most recent appointment.

"I showed up to my appointment on time, and nobody was there," Bullock said. "I was calling her, and I checked if I missed my appointment, and she didn't respond until like two days later, and that's when she said it was going to be temporarily closed."

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However, The Smiling Face wasn't temporarily closed; instead, it permanently shut down.

"I already like, paid in full in September, not knowing that it was going to be shut down," Bullock said. "I just hope that everybody gets their money back and they are able to get the service that they need."

McBean Grady, who is the CEO of The Smiling Face, conceded to Wilson that she was not licensed to do dental work, but claimed that Dr. Darren Ramsey was the licensed dentist she worked under and said he always oversaw the treatment.

On one patient's invoices, from 2024, it does list Ramsey's name. On Bullock's transfer for orthodontic treatment from The Smiling Face, dated last month, it also has Ramsey's name on it. Some patients also said they did see Ramsey in the office at times. When The Smiling Face Company closed, it sent an email to patients stating that, effective immediately, "Dr. Darren Ramsey is no longer providing treatment at our office. As a result, we are unable to continue orthodontic adjustments or related procedures. Our office will be permanently closed."

Bullock said she never saw Ramsey for her treatment, so she reached out to him.

"He told me that Ebony had a copy of his license, so she was able to, you know, keep the service in business," Bullock said.

Bullock, along with other patients, shared an email dated February 2024 that they said Ramsey provided. The email is from The Smiling Face's email address, confirming that Ramsey terminated their agreement with The Smiling Face.

In May, a consent order with the NC Board of Dental Examiners states that Ramsey aided, abetted, and assisted unlicensed persons to perform acts that can only be lawfully performed by a dentist licensed in this state. As part of the order, Ramsey's license is suspended for one year, but conditionally restored with no active suspension, provided that for a period of three years, he complies with certain requirements. On the NC Board of Dental Examiners website, it states Ramsey's license is in a probationary status. Wilson emailed and called Ramsey, but has not heard back.

When Wilson talked to McBean Grady, she claimed she knew nothing about the consent order and said Ramsey continued to send her patients to be treated. She said she wasn't aware of any issues until a representative with the State Board of Dental Examiners showed up at her office, letting her know about Ramsey. She said that's when the business immediately closed down.

That closure forced Bullock to find a new provider.

She said that when she went to a licensed dentist, "They showed my X-rays, and they were it was like, I didn't have braces on like my back teeth," Bullock said. She added that the licensed provider she saw told her that her braces were done incorrectly. They undid the work of The Smiling Face Company and started a new treatment for Bullock.

"I want my money back on it," Bullock said.

When Wilson asked McBean Grady whether patients who paid in full would get a refund, she did not answer, only saying she recommended another provider where patients could go. That provider told the Troubleshooter that patients would have to pay.

The Chief Executive Director of the State Board of Dental Examiners told Wilson that the agency wants to hear from affected patients, as he says they will be investigating every complaint.

You can file a complaint here. He said they do their best to shut down unlicensed practices to prevent public harm. That agency does have a license search on its website, and the best advice before you get treatment is to verify the provider is licensed to do that work.

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