There could be as many as 5000 people who need to get tested for bloodborne viruses after attending a Sydney dental practice.
NSW Health has warned that patients of retired practitioner William Tam may have been exposed to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV in the past 25 years.
Dr Zeina Najjar from the Sydney Local Health District Public Health Unit said it was believed the number of people who needed to be tested was “in the thousands but the record keeping at the practice was poor so we can’t determine an exact number”.
Dr Najjar said accurate record keeping was “extremely important” to record which practices patients had attended, the treatment they had received and any medication they were administered.
Dr Zeina Najjar said the number of people who needed to be tested could be in the thousands. Picture: Gaye Gerard / NewsWire
A recent Dental Council of NSW audit of Dr Tam’s practice at Suite B, 2 Albert R in Strathfield found concerns about infection control.
“Any inadequate sterilisation or cleaning of equipment between patients poses a risk of transmission between patients if not cleaned appropriately,” Dr Najjar said.
While it is possible infections from other types of bacteria or viruses could have occurred, Dr Najjar said patients would have shown symptoms or illness by now and they typically didn’t lead to long-term problems.
“So we don’t need testing for those but the three viruses that we’ve highlighted are the ones that can have a long-term effect, so it’s really important that if someone did have those viruses that they be tested so that they know that they have a virus and there are effective treatments available for all three of those viruses,” she said.
Dr Najjar said it was important for people to be tested not just for their own health but “also to prevent the transmission of viruses to other people as well”.
“The risk to former patients of Dr Tam and the risk of any bloodborne virus transmission is low and we’re encouraging testing as a precaution,” she said.
An audit of Dr Tam’s practice found concerns about infection control. Picture: Gaye Gerard / NewsWire
Sydney Local Health District public health clinical director Leena Gupta said thousands of people may have been seen by Dr Tam in the last 25 years, but there were no records that could be used to contact them.
“As a precaution, we are asking all of Dr Tam’s previous patients to seek testing for
bloodborne viruses,” Dr Gupta said.
“The poor infection control practices at Dr Tam’s practice means all former patients may be at low risk of a bloodborne virus infection, which can have serious and long-lasting health impacts.
“People with HIV, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C may not have any symptoms for decades, so it is important that people at risk of these infections are tested so that they can access treatment as appropriate. There are effective treatments available for all three conditions.”
Former patients of Dr Tam, who is no longer a registered dentist, are urged to consult the NSW Health website, speak to their GP or contact Healthdirect on 1800 022 222.
Anyone distressed by this news and needing mental health support can call the Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511.