A video of Dr. Harleen Grewal, a dentist at Skyline Smiles in Santa Clarita, joking about reducing the amount of nitrous oxide she administers to her liberal patients went viral, sparking widespread backlash.
Grewal, a self-proclaimed “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) dentist, made the remarks at the 2021 Republican Freedom Celebration, expressing disdain for her left-wing clients.
During her speech, she joked about wearing a “secret hat” to reduce patients’ pain relief and mocked Democrats for wearing masks during the pandemic. She also described liberals’ reactions to her office wall covered with photos of Republican leaders.
While the remarks drew laughter at the event, they also sparked outrage online, with some calling for Grewal to be reported to the California Dental Board.
Over 100 one-star reviews of Skyline Smiles appeared on Yelp, prompting the platform to temporarily disable the clinic’s review section.
Grewal has not publicly addressed the viral video, but posted a brief message on Instagram asserting that all patients are treated with “care, compassion, and respect.” Both of her Instagram accounts have since been deactivated.
The controversy even affected an unrelated Chicago clinic, Skyline Smiles, which received erroneous negative online reviews.
Grewal previously defended her comments in a column titled “You Can’t Cancel Me” in the Santa Clarita Valley Signal, calling the criticism a distortion of a “lighthearted joke” and reiterating her stance on free speech. She also denied allegations of illegal activity at her clinic, including political ballot harvesting.
The California Dental Board declined to comment on whether any complaints had been filed, citing the confidentiality of the investigation. Local law enforcement confirmed they would respond to any reports but did not disclose whether any complaints had been received regarding Grewal’s clinic.