Patients urged to get tested for HIV, hepatitis after going to TN dentist, reports say
A Tennessee dentist is urging his patients to get tested for HIV and hepatitis, news outlets report.
Dr. Clarence “Buzz” Nabers is sending the letters to patients after he was disciplined for sterilization lapses in July, according to state records and a Facebook post from Tuesday.
The Tennessee Department of Health this summer said the Knoxville dentist didn’t clean office equipment properly and let an unqualified person perform professional work. The state fined Nabers and put his license on probation, according to records.
Shelley Walker, state health department spokesperson, said the dentist was required to notify everyone he had treated in the three years leading up to Sept. 15, 2019, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports.
In the letters, Nabers advised his patients to get tested for HIV and hepatitis B and C, according to WATE and other news outlets.
The viruses can be transmitted through blood and other bodily fluids, putting people who use contaminated equipment at risk for infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Nabers’ office on Facebook said it values patient safety.
“These letters were sent out of an abundance of caution,” the post said. “Per the Tennessee Department of Health, there have been no reports of harm to patients and we have no reason to believe any harm has occurred.”
Still, the situation didn’t sit well with patient Cameron Cook, according to WVLT.
“I need to pay attention to how my medical professionals are using the products that they treat me with and just to double check to make sure that everything is clean,” he told the station.
But at least one social media user expressed support for the dentist.
“I stand with Buzz,” the person wrote.
