Health Authorities Contact Thousands of Dental Patients in Sydney and Infection Fears
Health authorities in New South Wales have contacted around 11,000 dental patients in Sydney amid fears of infection. Investigators believe that thousands of patients could be at ‘low risk’ of infectious diseases, including HIV and hepatitis, after concerns were raised over sterilisation and cross-infection procedures at four clinics in the city.
Authorities are now contacting patients who received invasive treatment at four clinics run by two separate companies. Patients from Gentle Dentist Clinics in the central business district of Sydney and Campsie and those who have undergone invasive treatment at Dr Robert Starkenburg’s clinics in Surry Hills and Bondi Junction have been contacted.
Media reports in Australia claim that 75-year-old Dr Starkenburg has already admitted that infection controls at his practices may have been “lax at times” and he was ordered to stand down by the Australian Dental Council back in 2014.
A spokesman for the Australian Dental Council also confirmed that five dentists working for Gentle Dentists clinics have had their registration suspended pending investigations. Six more employees have also been ordered to work under set conditions, such as ongoing inspection.
A spokesman for the health board in New South Wales has urged anyone who has had treatment at the four clinics to contact their GP to arrange a blood test. He stressed that the risk to patients was low, but advised those who had attended the clinics for invasive procedures to get checked out.
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