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Well-being authorities in Philadelphia are advising specific clientele of a dental office charged with using "insanitary procedures" to undergo testing for hepatitis and HIV because of possible contaminations spanning from April 2025 to May 2026, the city’s Department of Public Health indicated in an announcement this week.
Authorities on Wednesday pinpointed the dental center in Center City Philadelphia as Smiles at Rittenhouse Square, additionally referred to as Smiles on the Square, stating that it’s presently shuttered due to the dentist’s brief revocation.
James Garrow, Philadelphia’s deputy health commissioner, conveyed to ABC News that the hazard is considered to be minimal for patients currently because they have yet to discover any connected instances of hepatitis or HIV tied to this dental practice.
"We lack any established justification to assert that the risk will be potentially elevated, but the reality is, when you are in a dental facility that’s unsanitary, unsafe, the potential threat always exists," Garrow remarked. "Therefore, we're emphatically urging individuals who were patients there to get examined and ascertain their status."
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The primary dental practitioner at this practice has since had their authorization temporarily suspended, as state records reveal.
"On May 15, 2026, the State Board of Dentistry revoked Dr. Kirti Chopra’s professional permit in Pennsylvania on the grounds that her ongoing dental practice poses a distinct and immediate threat to public health and well-being," a Pennsylvania Department of State representative communicated in a statement to ABC News.
The supposed hygienic concerns in the clinic were brought to light during a surprise site inspection, as indicated by the suspension directive, reviewed by ABC News.
As per the directive, the dentist reportedly admitted to inspectors that utilized injectable medication vials were periodically kept to the side for subsequent utilization on other individuals, and IV saline bags intended for individual use were reused between individuals.
Inspectors conveyed that they detected numerous issues with sterilization and sanitation protocols during the site examination, including the detection of dental implements that were not adequately sterile, were handled with potentially tainted gloves, and were contained within potentially contaminated pouches.
They also reported discovering dental handpieces that had been in contact with blood and saliva left attached to patient equipment post-use, which should be sanitized between individuals.
The dentist’s brief revocation directive concluded that these discoveries "place patients in jeopardy of transmission of hepatitis C, hepatitis B, Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV), as well as eruptions of viral, bacterial or fungal infections."
Hepatitis viruses and HIV are transmitted through contact with affected blood or bodily fluids. Garrow specified that contamination at a dental facility is "remarkably rare," but becoming infected is possible if exposure transpires via contaminated dental instruments.
"The truth remains, if a patient there was exposed to one of these ailments… these are possibly chronic conditions that alter one’s life," Garrow articulated.
Physicians inform ABC News that possibly affected patients may necessitate repeated blood analyses, contingent upon the timing of a potential contamination.
"If it involves a recent exposure, it would entail a minimum of two or three blood draws to ascertain a baseline, followed by subsequent analyses to establish seroconversion," Dr. George Diaz, a representative for the Infectious Disease Society of America, informed ABC News.
Physicians state that hepatitis B is considered one of the more contagious bloodborne viruses in healthcare environments when sterilization measures aren’t upheld, or if tainted tools are repurposed.
The hepatitis B vaccine provides the optimal means of defense for an individual exposed to this virus.
"In this instance, vaccination against Hepatitis B would shield against exposures of this nature," Diaz indicated. "The likelihood is essentially nonexistent for those vaccinated."
Currently, there are no vaccines available to avert HIV or hepatitis C. Treatment alternatives differ for each virus, depending on the timing of exposure or contagion.
According to Garrow, the health department is striving to finalize a roster of patients potentially in peril, yet owing to the potential exposure timeframe, he approximates that figure "could be in the hundreds."
Garrow also declared that another dental clinic exists within the same edifice bearing a similar designation, Rittenhouse Smiles, that is not undergoing investigation, and they are concentrating on communications to diminish patient uncertainty.
Representatives state that individuals unsure regarding potential exposure or patients of Smiles at Rittenhouse Square should contact 215-685-5488, a hotline established by the health department that operates between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.
"Dr. Chopra is cooperating with the Department of Public Health and the Pennsylvania Department of State," a legal representative acting on behalf of Chopra and Smiles at Rittenhouse Square remarked in a statement to 6ABC Philadelphia on Wednesday. "Dr. Chopra will persist in collaboratively engaging with public health officials concerning patient notifications, testing suggestions, and any requisite infection-control corrections."
Mark Abdelmalek, MD serves as a medical contributor and investigative reporter for ABC News. Jade A. Cobern, MD, MPH, is a fellow of the ABC News Medical Unit.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com