Up to 12,000 Australian dental patients exposed to HIV and hepatitis

Thousands of Australian dental patients are facing an anxious wait after being told lax hygiene at four practices may have put them at risk of HIV and hepatitis. Six Sydney practitioners have been suspended over non-compliant practices that might have exposed up to 12,000 people to blood-borne diseases. New South Wales Health said 12 dentists from four surgeries were accused of poor cleaning and equipment sterilisation practices and advised patients to get blood tests for HIV as well as Hepatitis A, B and C as a precaution.

It’s important to stress we have no evidence of infection at this point, that no transmission has occurred.

NSW Health director of health protection Jeremy McAnulty.

The worry is that instruments may not have been properly cleaned and sterilised, risking the transmission of blood-borne diseases into the gums. The scare was sparked by a complaint about one of the practices in November last year and subsequent investigations revealed “significant” safety breaches at the clinic and others, said Shane Fryer of the Dental Council of NSW. So far six dentists have been suspended and another six have had conditions placed on their licences.

HIV dental Health