Alberta Health Services (AHS) is urging patients who received dental care at a home-based operation in southwest Calgary to get tested, warning they have been exposed to viruses including hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.
AHS said the dental operation, located at 20 Somervale Close S.W., was unlicensed and unsanitary.
In a Tuesday news release, Medical Officer of Health for Calgary Zone, Dr. Judy MacDonald, said the operation “did not have these proper sterilization or sanitation processes in place.”
The operation was ordered to close on March 21.
“The set-up in this individual’s basement was complete for dental services, and there was evidence of multiple dental equipment sets as well as freezing,” MacDonald told Global News.
“Enough to indicate there was more services being provided than just for her family members alone, which is what had been indicated.”
Anyone who received dental services from the home and/or from Natalia Prohkin are asked to call Health Link at 811 to arrange for laboratory blood tests.
MacDonald went on to say the individuals involved “weren’t forthright with what they had done,” leading to discrepancies in what dental services had actually been provided to patients.
She added that appropriate cleaning, disinfection and sterilization of the dental instruments wasn’t done at all, meaning patients “might have been exposed to blood-born viruses.
Randall Croutze of the Alberta Dental Association and College said the association doesn’t have any evidence Prohkin had any credentials, adding she never applied for registration in the province of Alberta.
“Some of the mechanical devices were commonly available equipment, such as, you would find at Canadian Tire, such as a shop-vac for suction unit,” Croutze said. “Very large concern.”
“Going forward, we will be asking for an injunction against the person so that they can no longer practise, or pretend that they are practising dentistry,” he said.
AHS has said testing, some of which could take place over a period of time, will determine whether any patients have been infected.
AHS said the health advisory was issued because a clientele list had not been found during the course of its investigation. The dental operation will remain closed until “significant changes” can be made, according to AHS.
“This includes ensuring the individual delivering dental care is a licensed dentist.”
To confirm that a dentist is licensed to practise in Alberta, or to file a complaint about a dentist in the province, Albertans can contact the ADAC toll-free at 1-800-843-3848.
Comments