Patients at Washington dental clinic told to get tested for HIV, hepatitis

People expect the dentist who cares for their teeth to keep their equipment sanitary. In Eastern Washington’s Spokane County, patients at a dental clinic received an alarming letter.

According to the Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD), people who received care from Sandy Fletcher Montano, DDS, at the Deer Park Dental Clinic between November 2021 and June 2022, were told to get tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. Testing is available with a patient’s healthcare provider and most urgent care clinics also provide testing, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) stated.

The DOH was notified of “potential infection control allegations” and suspended the license of Montano in June 2022 and indefinitely suspended his license in April 2024.

“The potential infection control breaches were reported as a complaint and include improper cleaning and disinfection of reusable equipment and improper reuse of disposable equipment which could expose patients to blood and other infectious material,” stated the release.

However, according to the SRHD, the risk of contracting a disease is low.

SRHD said hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV can sometimes cause no symptoms in patients for many years after infection. But even without symptoms, patients can still transmit it to others and laboratory testing is the only way to be certain they aren’t infected.

“These illnesses are serious but often treatable,” the release stated.

Answers to other potential questions can be found in a FAQ PDF from the DOH and SRHD that is found here.

SRHD also said it could not notify patients individually because Montano was not being compliant with the investigation.

According to the DOH, via a post in June 2022, an investigator tried to conduct an infection control inspection at Montano’s clinic on Dec. 1, 2021, but he allegedly refused to allow the inspection. The DOH said Montano will not be able to practice in Washington until the charges are resolved.

At the time Montano’s license was suspended, the DOH has also suspended licenses in Benton County, Skagit County, Snohomish County and California. For more details, visit the DOH’s website.

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.

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