Dr Kenny Smiles is a dentist from Texas, and his profile is currently buzzing the internet after something interesting he did that’s what we are going to fill you in on.
What did Dr Kenny Smiles do?
Dr Kenneth Wilstead, a dentist who has amassed a significant following on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, has been accused of engaging in bullying and s*xual harassment by multiple women who claim to have received inappropriate messages from his official social media accounts.
Despite his reputation for employing brash and edgy humour, these allegations have cast a shadow over his professional conduct. Under the moniker @DrKennySmiles on Instagram and @DrKennySmilesOfficial on TikTok, Dr. Wilstead frequently showcases his “smile makeovers” on social media.
These videos typically feature a patient in his dental chair discussing the circumstances that led to their current dental condition, followed by a shot of the patient admiring their newly improved smile.
These videos have garnered hundreds of thousands of views on platforms such as TikTok, where Dr. Wilstead boasts over 700,000 followers, and Instagram, where he has amassed over half a million followers.
On August 31st, Mr. Wilstead issued a callout for a new reality show. However, several women expressed their concerns online regarding his treatment of female patients and women seeking dental assistance. NBC News conducted interviews with four women who shared their experiences with Mr Wilstead, who is 43 years old.
Two prospective patients reported receiving sexually explicit messages from his account, although they never met with him in person. Another woman received bullying messages from his social media account, while a fourth woman filed a complaint against him for swearing at her and dismissing her dental problems as imaginary. Last year, a patient sued Mr Wilstead for medical malpractice, alleging inappropriate touching.
A jury trial is scheduled for this case, according to the 14th District Court docket. Mr. Wilstead is the sole dentist listed on the “About Us” page of his practice, Smile Again Dental. It is unclear whether other dentists work there. In a lengthy email statement to NBC News on Friday, Mr. Wilstead responded to the allegations.
“The character I play both online and in my office has been something I have used to break the tension of a stressful experience and unfortunately sometimes people who don’t have full context feel like I cross(ed) the line and it’s their right to have their own opinions,” he wrote. “I respect that right.”
However, he said he believes “The current situation stems from a blowup of a few written comments.”
In regard to the legal action being taken against him, he said “a woman is suing me and falsely accusing me of touching or grabbing her buttocks.” He wrote that he is “totally innocent of any inappropriate touching of that woman.”
Who is Annely Timmerman?
Timmerman was among the individuals aspiring for a transformation who submitted an audition on TikTok, expressing her desire to be a recipient of Wilstead’s expertise.
In her audition video, Timmerman tearfully recounts her struggle with a genetic disorder known as oligodontia, which causes the absence of teeth. Motivated by the accounts shared by others, including Peaco, Annely Timmerman, aged 32, felt compelled to step forward and share her own experience. #stitch with @Annely Elizibeth #greenscreen this is extremely disappointing. I thiught the follow from dr kenny was a tiny light that meant i could possibly finally get the help i need. I was wrong. The message i sent after his was a follow up message to the ugly crying comment of kim k crying. It sent the same time his did. At first, i thought what he said was a joke and i genuinely didnt know how to respond. Then today, #mamatot posted a video that made his message a reality. As someone who has been endlessly struggling to find help, this is crushing. I will not keep this to myself. It happened to me too. This is wrong.
Timmerman discovered that Wilstead had followed her on Instagram after publishing her video. She apologized for being a “ugly cryer” and sent him a private message wondering if he had seen her video. NBC News has seen a message from Wilstead’s verified account that reads, “Just wanted to have sex with you. It’s alright.
“My message from him had sat in my Instagram messages for a couple of days before I ever said anything about it, because it is intimidating,” she said. “Of course I wanted to be like, ‘Who the hell does this guy think he is?’ but he has such a huge platform.”
In response to the “clothing optional” message allegation, Wilstead referred to his staff.
“We were running a contest and one of them made the comment ‘clothing optional,’ knowing how I sometimes joke with my patients,” he wrote. “The same is true of the comment that I wanted to have sex with the woman who called herself ‘ugly.’ It was a misjudgment of my staff trying to impersonate the way they thought I might speak. I don’t defend either of the statements which were in poor taste.”
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