MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee woman who was accused of posing as a dentist has been ordered to pay $144,000 to a former customer who sued her after claiming the unlicensed practitioner ruined her teeth.
WATCH: Judge orders Milwaukee woman accused of posing as dentist to pay $144K to customer she harmed
A Milwaukee County judge entered judgment in favor of Felisha Edwards in late June after she filed a civil lawsuit against Jessica Stewart, the owner of Dr. J Dental Spa. Edwards’ attorney says the judge determined Stewart violated state law for fraudulent business practices.
Edwards told TMJ4 in an exclusive 2025 interview that she paid nearly $6,000 for veneers after seeing social media posts promoting Stewart's services on Milwaukee's north side.
"I saw her in a white doctor jacket, and it said Dr. J," Edwards said.
Edwards told TMJ4 in 2025 that the veneers fell out days later.
"My teeth hurt, they're very sensitive, I have gaps, I'm scarred for life," Edwards said.
Edwards' attorney, Christopher Stawski, called the civil lawsuit the last legal option to hold Stewart accountable.
"In my 40 years of practicing law, this is the first time that I've seen something this egregious," Stawski said. "It was out and out fraud.”
State records from Wisconsin's Department of Safety and Professional Services show Stewart faced multiple customer complaints dating back years. But that agency can only revoke licenses — and state records show Stewart never had one.
The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office told TMJ4 in 2025 that it did not pursue criminal charges because the case was never investigated by a law enforcement agency.
Dr. Swathi Golla, president of the Greater Milwaukee Dental Association, said the dental community was frustrated by the situation.
"We heard about it, and we felt really heartbroken that there were no charges taken at that time," Golla said. "It is permanent damage. It's irreversible.”
Stewart has 20 years to pay off the $144,000 judgment. Stawski said collecting the money could be the next challenge.
"That's a problem. Collectability in these cases is often difficult," Stawski said. "It's certainly possible {Edwards} could never see a cent. If there are no assets that {Stewart} has, there's nothing for us to get our hands on.”
Stawski said an unpaid judgment would have to be cleared before Stewart could apply for any type of loan, including a mortgage.
"I hope this case sends a strong message to people that hold themselves out as something they're not to refrain from doing that because there will be some type of consequence at some point," Stawski said.
Stewart did not answer calls on Wednesday, but later replied to TMJ4 Invesitgative Reporter Ben Jordan via a text message, she said in part: "I take accountability, but the number asked for is outrageous.”
Stewart added that she has apologized to Edwards and that Dr. J Dental Spa is now closed.
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