When Bad News Goes Viral

The dental profession was dealt a major black eye two weeks ago with the astonishing revelation that Dr. Wayne Harrington, a Tulsa, Oklahoma oral surgeon, had potentially placed 7000 of his patients at risk by exposing them to Hepatitis B and HIV from poor sterilization procedures. In a complaint filed by the Tulsa Health Department, Harrington allegedly reused needles and was working with instruments that were rusty and porous and could not be properly sterilized.

I received many calls from clients wondering about a proper response. Some were considering sending an e-mail blast to their patient base reassuring them. Others were thinking about a newsletter piece. I discouraged this approach feeling it was going to just add fuel to the fire. My advice was to meet immediately as a team and write out “the script” for the proper response when any patient inquired. Something like “Thank you for calling Mrs. Smith. Your concerns are certainly justified. We want you to know that our practice is 100% compliant with the highest standards of recommended patient protection, and that you and your family are totally safe.” It is an absolute necessity for the message to be consistent and perfect when delivered by any member of the team.

This deplorable situation triggered unpleasant memories of another outlier event that occurred in the late 1980s, when Dr. David Acer–a Florida dentist who himself was HIV positive–infected three of his patients with the deadly AIDS virus. This was the first recorded case of patients becoming infected during dental care. The Acer event entirely changed the way that modern dentistry is practiced. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1988 recommended the OSHA standard for occupational exposure to blood borne pathogens which included the use of gloves in a dental setting where there is contact with saliva or blood. I sure wish I had bought stock in latex gloves!

The take away message from this unfortunate incident in Tulsa is that our patients are VERY concerned with their safety. I have always been a big advocate for an impressive well designed Stericenter. It should be hospital quality – nothing less. And it must always be immaculately clean. The major dental supply companies all have their own version, and I think this is a wonderful and worthwhile investment. Be sure to point out the sterilization area in your practice–especially to new patients–as they are being escorted to a treatment room. Let’s go out of our way to make every single patient feel safe and secure.