Chicago Dentists Caught in Viral Backlash After California Doctor’s Controversial Video
CHICAGO, Ill. — A group of Chicago dentists is working to protect its reputation after being wrongly linked to a viral video of a California dentist accused of mocking patients who don’t share her political views.
Mistaken Identity Sparks Outrage
The issue began when Dr. Harleen Grewal, a dentist in Santa Clarita, California, was filmed at a Republican fundraiser claiming she turned down laughing gas for patients with opposing political views. That video was shared on TikTok — and mistakenly tagged with the website of Skyline Smiles, a Chicago-based dental group.
“We are not the same company, affiliate, franchise — we’re none of that. We’re completely different entities,” said Dr. Priya Patel, co-owner of Skyline Smiles in Chicago.
Fallout Hits Chicago Practice
The video, though later corrected by the poster, spread widely online before the mistake was fixed. In the span of less than an hour, the Chicago office’s website traffic spiked, followed by a flood of phone calls, messages, and one-star reviews.
“As a small business, those reviews are vital,” Patel explained. “Some of our locations are new, and we work really hard to get five-star reviews and attract new customers.”
Co-owner Dr. Deepak Neduvelil said he panicked at first when he saw their practice falsely tagged. “I kind of freaked out initially because the video had our website on it,” he said.
Trademark Concerns
Neduvelil noted that his team had long been aware of the California practice using the Skyline Smiles name. They had even sent cease-and-desist letters but had been unable to enforce their trademark without proof of confusion.
“That has not been the case since the video surfaced,” Neduvelil said. “If you look at our website and see what we’re about, you’ll see that we don’t align ourselves with that. We take care of people and we do the best dentistry that we can.”
Moving Forward
Despite the viral fallout, the Chicago dentists say they plan to keep their name and focus on the loyalty of patients who know their practice personally.
Meanwhile, Dr. Grewal of California has not responded to media requests for comment on her viral remarks.
Have you ever seen a local business caught up in controversy because of mistaken identity online? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments on SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.
Source: wgntv.com
