March 29-- Thousands of patients of a Tulsa dentist may have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, health officials said Thursday.
Dr. W. Scott Harrington, an oral surgeon who has been practicing in Tulsa for more than 30 years, voluntarily stopped practicing March 20 after two site visits found multiple violations, including assistants being allowed to unlawfully perform IV sedation, which only a licensed dentist may perform. Performing the procedure without a license is a felony.
The Tulsa Health Department is setting up free testing clinics for the 7,000 patients who may have been exposed since 2007, when the earliest patient information was available.
Patients before 2007 are advised to call a hotline that will be answered from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The number is 918-595-4500.
The free testing will begin Saturday morning at the North Regional Health and Wellness Center, 5635 N. Martin Luther King Blvd., and continue next week.
Exposure to these diseases through an outpatient dental clinic is rare and the public should not panic, State Epidemiologist Kristy Bradley said at a news conference.
"I want to stress that this is not an outbreak," she said.
Harrington had a satellite office at 12806 E. 86th Place North in Owasso.
Earlier this year, a person with HIV and hepatitis C and no traditional risk factors for the diseases was found to have had a dental surgical procedure at Harrington's office at 2111 S. Atlanta Place during the short window of possible contraction.
The Oklahoma State Department of Health conducted a site visit March 12 and again on March 18. They found multiple violations, including many relating to unsanitary conditions.
Violations included incomplete drug logs and a disorganized and unlocked drug cabinet that contained expired medication, including a vial that expired in 1993, according to a statement of complaint from the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry.
Equipment was rusted and not properly sterilized. Harrington was deferring decisions and supervision of cleaning and infection control to assistants, according to the complaint.
He also practiced without displaying his license and failed to keep a suitable record of dangerous drugs, according to the complaint.
People can be exposed to the diseases when health care professionals do not follow proper infection control procedures, like disinfecting and sterilizing instruments, according to the Tulsa Health department.
Tulsa Health Department Director Bruce Dart said the diseases to which people were at risk of being exposed may not show symptoms for many years, and it is important for anyone possibly affected to get tested.
"We understand of course that people have lots of questions and undoubtedly there will be great concern over this issue," he said.
Susan Rogers, executive director of the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry, said Harrington had no prior complaints.
Dentist offices are inspected after complaints, but there are not enough personnel to regularly inspect the more than 10,000 licensees in the state, she said.
The board is discussing ways to try to prevent any similar incidents, she said.
"We have a pretty good process," she said. "This isn't something we would have detected through our current methods of doing what we do in the inspections, because this is something that just never happens."
Rogers said she had been talking to the Tulsa County district attorney's office, but no charges have been filed yet.
Harrington's office was closed Thursday. Dr. Gene McCormick, whose practice is next door, said he was thinking of the patients.
"I feel sorry for the patients that they have to go through that," he said. "I hope all the patients are healthy and well."
Oklahoma Rep. David Derby, R-Owasso, said in a statement that the news shocked him.
"I'm just absolutely floored. The allegations against this dentist are beyond the pale," he said. "He has been seeing thousands of Oklahomans for decades and has been violating his patients' trust. Now we have a situation on our hands where countless people might have contracted a sexually-transmitted disease just because they wanted to get a teeth cleaning or a cavity filled."
World Staff Writer Sara Plummer contributed to this story.
What to do if you think you're at risk
What happened: The health department reports that as many as 7,000 patients of Dr. Scott Harrington may have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
What to do: If you are a patient of Harrington's, you are advised to get tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. A free clinic is being set up at the North Tulsa Regional Health and Wellness Center at 5635 N. Martin Luther King Blvd. It will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the following Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Hotline: You can also call a hotline that will be answered from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The number is 918-595-4500.
The risk: About 7,000 people have been a patient of Harrington's since 2007, when the earliest records are available. Patients before 2007 are encouraged to call the hotline listed above.
Shannon Muchmore 918-581-8378
shannon.muchmore@tulsaworld.com
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