Unlicensed dentists pose health risk

Fairfax County health officials are warning residents about the serious health risks associated with dental procedures performed by unlicensed providers.

Someone who had gone to an unlicensed dentist operating in the basement of a house in West Falls Church developed a life-threatening blood-borne infection, the Health Department reported March 23. The issue is still being investigated, however, so it’s not certain that the infection was caused by the dental procedure.

“In an unsanitary basement with unsterile tools, even the best-trained dentist can cause more harm than good,” says Dr. Benjamin Schwartz, director of epidemiology and population health in the county’s Health Department. “People who undergo these unlicensed procedures are risking their health and safety.”

The Health Department is recommending anyone who received dental care in this manner see a healthcare provider to be tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV, which are all spread through blood exposure.

“These are serious infections that may not have outwards symptoms for many years so even those who feel well now should be tested as a precaution,” Schwartz said.

The Health Department is working with law enforcement to investigate and stop the unlicensed dentist from practicing.

Here are some warning signs of an unsafe dental practice:

• The dental provider operates out of a home instead of an office.
• The provider does not wash his or her hands before putting on gloves and touching your mouth.
• The provider uses a needle and syringe that was not taken from a new sealed, single-use package.
• The provider uses damaged, dirty, or rusting equipment during the dental procedure.
• The patient is not given information on how to take care of the wound after the procedure, the signs and symptoms of an infection, and what to do if an infection occurs.

Visit the Virginia Department of Health Professions website to look up a dentist and see whether he or she has a current Virginia dental license.

The Fairfax County Health Department provides dental services to children whose families are income eligible or to whom treatment is not available in the private sector. Dental services are available in three locations: Fairfax, Reston, and Alexandria.

There are other dental clinics in the area that provide low-cost routine or emergency care, including Neighborhood Health, which opened a dental clinic in January 2017 that offers basic dental services at 7501 Little River Turnpike in Annandale.

Low-cost dental care is also offered at Northern Virginia Community College’s medical campus in Springfield and Northern Virginia Dental Clinic in Merrifield.