Report: Patients of Pa. Dental Practice Urged To Be Tested For HIV, Hepatitis

READING (KDKA) -- Patients of a Pennsylvania dental practice are being urged by the Pennsylvania departments of State and Health to be tested for infectious diseases.

According to the Reading Eagle, state officials report people who have received dental services from the Center for Family and Specialty Dentistry in Bern Township could be at risk after it was discovered the business did not follow proper procedures for preventing infections.

"While we haven't received reports of hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or HIV from patients, infection control procedures at this practice were inadequate and created the potential for harm, so we're recommending patients get tested," Health Secretary Dr. Karen Murphy said in a press release. "We prefer that patients receive information regarding their health directly from their provider. However, in this case, that did not happen, so we've contacted patients of this practice directly."

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The dental practice was ordered to cease and desist all patient care in October, and in November the Pennsylvania State Board of Dentistry temporarily suspended the licenses of three dentists who practiced there.

The practice's attorney stated that the state's action was due to technical violations and that employees who did not follow proper procedure were fired.