Health officials are notifying nearly 7,000 people they may have been exposed to HIV and other infectious diseases at an Oklahoma dental practice where improper sterilization procedures and rusty surgical tools were discovered at the offices of Dr. Wayne Scott Harrington in Tulsa, the Associated Press reported.
The investigation was launched after one of Harrington's patients was diagnosed with hepatitis C and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, according to a complaint.
Investigators found that Harrington's dental office was filled with a slew of health violations, as filed by the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry.
The magnitude of the suspected violations and the number of patients involved were "unprecedented," said Susan Rogers, executive director of the Board of Dentistry on Friday. Harrington has surrendered his license and is cooperating with investigators, officials said.
Harrington has operated a Tulsa practice and maintained a satellite office in a suburb for about 35 years and has treated a large number of infectious disease carriers, the complaint said.
The complaint also stateed that drug vials and needles were used multiple times on different patients, causing the risk of cross-contamination. A separate set of instruments used for infectious disease carriers appeared rusty, the complaint said.
Harrington's drug cabinet and drug logs were also "in disarray," news reports said.
The investigation is ongoing.
