A pediatric dentist in Santa Clarita, California, is facing criticism after a video resurfaced online showing her joking about reducing laughing gas for patients with liberal political views. Dr. Harleen Grewal of Skyline Smiles made the comments during a speech at the Republican Liberty Gala in 2021, according to the Los Angeles Times.
In the video, which was removed by its original poster but continues to circulate on social media, Grewal said, “I have a secret hat I use sometimes. It says, ‘Make your smile great again.’ I wear that when I work on my patients so when they look horrified or complain, I quietly cut back on the laughing gas and say, ‘You got this. It’s not as bad as you think it is.’”
She also remarked that fewer liberal patients visited her office during the COVID-19 pandemic and expressed a wish that they would continue to stay “home with their masks on.”
Skyline Smiles and Dr. Grewal were named Santa Clarita’s best kid dentist in 2022, 2023 and 2024, according to information posted on the dental practice’s website. The site states: “This recognition reflects Dr. Grewal’s dedication to creating a warm, fun, and trusted environment for children’s dental care.”
McClatchy News contacted both Dr. Grewal and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for comment on September 26 but had not received responses at the time of publication.
Dr. Grewal addressed the controversy in an opinion piece published by The Santa Clarita Valley Signal on September 9. She wrote: “The accusation? That I ‘torture’ patients who don’t share my political views. This ridiculous claim was pulled from a lighthearted joke I made during a speech at the Republican Liberty Gala. My words were twisted, and my career was targeted — but I didn’t back down.”
Grewal noted this is not her first experience with public scrutiny; she referenced an anonymous complaint accusing her of operating an illegal ballot-harvesting operation.
Responding to recent criticism, she added: “This is what cancel culture looks like: targeted harassment of professionals, business owners and anyone who dares to think differently. But here’s the truth: It didn’t work.”
Following circulation of the video clip online, several Yelp users left critical reviews of Skyline Smiles expressing concern over her remarks about patient care based on political beliefs.
Santa Clarita is located roughly 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
