Ebony Nicohole McBean, 42, was arrested by Raleigh police this week on charges related to practising dental services without a license and defrauding patients.
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Who is Ebony Nicohole McBean?
According to WRAL News, McBean is accused of operating The Smiling Face Company in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she allegedly provided dental and orthodontic services without proper credentials.
However, McBean claimed to have worked as an orthodontic assistant for 15 years on Yelp.
Patients had raised questions after spending thousands to get braces about refunds, future service and patient records. One patient detailed to WRAL that McBean charged about $5,820 for braces on their teeth, despite having no dental license.
Two other patients, Nichelle Boone and Shayla Gist, also reported being charged $4,250 for braces services and $4,000 from Gist after putting braces on her son’s teeth, respectively, in October. Gist has also reported that for the past three months, her kid has been in so much discomfort from his braces that he no longer wants to wear them.
McBean allegedly informed all her victims that she was employed by Dr Ramsey, with whom she would consult for the installation and upkeep of orthodontic procedures on each of her patients.
However, McBean has no connection whatsoever to Ramsey, according to the arrest warrants. Dr Darren Ramsey was the company’s dental medical director and the provider mentioned on invoices, according to WRAL News. On the board’s webpage, Ramsey’s license was listed as being on probation.
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Charges and bond
McBean’s arrest on February 14 came more than three months after warrants were first issued in November 2025, and she faces one count of practising medicine without a licence and three felony counts of obtaining property by false pretence.
One day after informing patients, the Smiling Face Company closed its doors in October due to the negative feedback it received from its clientele.
McBean is out on bail after he posted a $3,000 bond on Saturday morning, around 6 a.m., WRAL News reported.
She is scheduled to appear in court on these charges at 1;30 p.m. on Monday, February 16.