A lot of media publicity has occurred regarding a case that appeared last month where patients of an oral surgeon in Oklahoma were asked to get tested for HIV and hepatitis after it was found that potentially lax sterilization procedures were used. More on this case is discussed over at Dental Patients Warned of Possible HIV and Hepatitis Exposure Due to Oral Surgeon’s Practices for example.
The Tulsa World has been prompted to publish a searchable database of all disciplinary actions taken against dentists, in the state of Oklahoma from January 2000, to January 2013, after the case involving lax sterilization procedures came to light. In that case one patient had four third molars (wisdom teeth) removed and was allegedly given sedation by a dental assistant who should not have been giving sedation. She later developed an infection and liver problems.
The Tulsa Word seems to be publishing the database to allow patients to better research dentists and make determinations of who they may decide to see to perform their dental work. Most cases that involve disciplinary actions against a dentist by a State Board of Dentistry do not receive quite the amount of media scrutiny as the case did discussed previously.
A description of the Tusla World’s findings is in the article by Casey Smith and Ziva Branstetter titled “Sunday: 68 Oklahoma dentists disciplined since 2000, World finds,” published on April 27, 2013, located over at http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.aspx/Sunday_68_Oklahoma_dentists_disciplined_since_2000/20130427_296_sunda_99885
The article states
“The state agency responsible for disciplining dentists took at least 98 actions against dentists during that time for violations of the state dental act and other laws including substance abuse, improper prescribing practices and allowing assistants to perform work for which they were not licensed. Other circumstances involved dentists who violated the terms of their board probations, made improper sexual contact or remarks to patients, had misleading advertisements or took part in Medicaid fraud.”
Additional Source: DrBicuspid. “65 Okla. patients test positive for hepatitis C,” April 26, 2013, located at http://www.drbicuspid.com/index.aspx?sec=sup&sub=hyg&pag=dis&ItemID=313209
Update: See this article for more details from Tulsa World titled “Oklahoma State Board of Dentistry took action against 68 dentists during past 13 years,” by Casey Smith and Ziva Branstetter, April 28, 2013, http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.aspx/Oklahoma_State_Board_of_Dentistry_took_action_against/20130428_11_A1_ULNSxc325718