Tennessee dental patients should get HIV, hepatitis tests after dental equipment not properly sterilized: officials
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Some dental patients in Tennessee have been advised to undergo HIV and hepatitis B and C testing after a dentist in the state failed to properly sterilize dental equipment, according to reports.
A Knoxville dentist by the name of Clarence “Buzz” Nabers did not ensure the proper sterilization of dental equipment, The Associated Press reports. Following an investigation into the matter, Nabers was fined $11,000 by the Tennessee Board of Dentistry and his license was put on probation. The investigation also found that Nabers forged certification documents and had “unqualified employees” perform tasks such as filling cavities, The Knoxville News Sentinel reports.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Nabers said previously that he has implemented protocols to correct the issues.
The newspaper, citing a lawsuit, also reported that a hygienist at Nabers’s practice was the whistleblower, reporting the misconduct to the state. She was subsequently forced out, the lawsuit claims.
The dentist was fined $11,000 and his license was placed on probation. (iStock)
The Tennessee Department of Health recommended the testing, but Nabers also included the recommendation in a letter sent to patients who visited his practice between Sept. 15, 2016, to Sept. 15, 2019, The Associated Press reports.
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The letter says the chance of being exposed to any infection is “very remote” and there haven't been any reports of sickness.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.