Oklahoma Officials to Begin Blood Testing for Dental Patients

Oklahoma health officials will begin testing dental patients in the Tulsa area on Saturday for various blood-borne viruses that cause hepatitis and AIDS, as part of a precautionary measure to deal with what officials call the largest such incident in the state's history.

Around 7,000 patients in Oklahoma are being urged to get tested for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C as health officials believe they may have been exposed to those infections after being treated by a dentist who may have infected them with his unsanitary medical equipment. These violations included employees using dirty equipment, reusing needles and administering drugs without a license.

Dr. W. Scott Harrington, in Tulsa, had been practicing dentistry in the area for over 30 years before the Oklahoma Dental Act found "major violations" and several violations of safety and health laws while conducting an investigation at his dental practice, according to Fox News.

The number of those needing tests could also grow, officials said. The 7,000 names were of patients in the records since 2007. Harrington, who has suspended his practice pending the resolution of the charges, has been working as a dentist for 36 years.

So far, only one patient has been confirmed as having been infected - with hepatitis C - after being treated by Dr. Harrington. While officials stressed how important it was for patients to be tested, they cautioned that it was premature to characterize the situation as a widespread public health crisis. They said the transmission of H.I.V., hepatitis B and hepatitis C in a setting like a dentist's office was unusual.

"This is an unprecedented event," said Susan Rogers, executive director of the state Board of Dentistry, according to the report. "To my knowledge, this has never happened before as far as a public notification of a (hepatitis C) case involving a dental office."

Dr. W. Scott Harrington voluntarily closed his practice and is cooperating with investigators, she said. A hearing is set before the state Dental Board on April 19.

Snider said letters are slated to be sent Friday to 7,000 patients who went to Harrington's clinics in Tulsa and suburban Owasso since 2007. These patients are urged to get tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. The agencies say it is rare for infections to spread in occupational settings but that tests are important.