Dentist put patients at risk

Close to 1200 patients of an unregistered Auckland dentist have been put at risk of blood infections, says the Ministry of Health.

Mt Roskill woman Rong Fang Zhang was yesterday convicted of charges relating to unlawfully practising dentistry.

Zhang carried out a large amount of invasive dentistry, including root canal therapy, fillings and extractions and treatment of infection in substandard conditions, the Ministry of Health acting director of public health, Ashley Bloomfield, said yesterday.

Zhang had no effective means of sterilising her equipment. As a result, 1190 patients over the past four or five years had been identified as having been put at risk of blood-borne infection.

Mr Bloomfield said those people had to be traced and advised about seeking appropriate medical care.

Zhang was convicted in Auckland District Court and fined $2000 plus $750 costs.

The ministry had laid charges under the Dental Act 1988.

Mr Bloomfield said the ministry went to great lengths and spent considerable resources to investigate the case, which reinforced the importance of making sure any dentist providing treatment was reputable, suitably qualified and registered with the Dental Council.

"The ministry takes these issues seriously and will investigate and prosecute where it can. A penalty such as this sends a clear message to others that a breach of the law is simply unacceptable."

Dental Council chairman Dr Brent Stanley said there had been a real risk to the public through Zhang's unlawful practice.

He said Zhang trained in dentistry overseas, but was not registered to practise here.

Her work fell short of acceptable standards.