An Ontario judge has certified a class-action lawsuit against a Guelph dental practice.
The lawsuit stems from incidents that allegedly occurred at Guelph Dental Associates between Jan. 21, 2015, and June 21, 2017.
In 2017, the practice, which operated under the name Growing Smiles), was forced to temporarily close by Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (WDG) Public Health after it was discovered that dental instruments may not have been sterilized properly.
WDG Public Health then issued letters to 3,600 patients of the clinic, suggesting that they get tested for hepatitis B, C and HIV due to the sterilization concerns.
A spokesperson for WDG Public Health confirmed to Global News that there have never been any actual infections connected to the dental clinic.
The dental clinic would reopen later that year after getting approval from WDG Public Health but has since been shuttered.
In his ruling from July 19, Justice Paul Perell of the Ontario Superior Court found that “the Plaintiffs move for certification of the action as a class proceeding for settlement purposes” and said he was satisfied the requirements for certification were met.
The defendants in the case are Dr. Meikle Dentistry Professional Corp., Dr. Katherine Zettle, Dr. Kanisha Campbell, Dr. Ladan Mansouri and Dr. Andrew Meikle.
Global News has reached out to the lawyers for both parties for comment.
— with files from Global News’ Andrew Russell and The Canadian Press
Comments