The Department of Health is warning patients of a former Deer Park dentist to get tested for viral hepatitis and HIV.
Dr. Sandy Montano’s dental license was revoked earlier this year after a state investigation found that she had not properly cleaned or sterilized medical equipment and was allegedly reusing disposables.
Patients who received treatment from Dr. Montano at the Deer Park Dental Clinic may have been exposed to the blood-borne disease between November 2021 and June 2022.
The health department report said no cases of disease transmission had been reported and the risk of former patients catching the disease was “considered to be low.” Still, state officials encouraged anyone who was treated by Montano to contact their doctor to arrange for testing.
Montano’s Deer Park dental clinic closed in the summer of 2022. There is already a dental practice in Deer Park with a similar business name that is not related to Montano’s clinic.
An investigation into the dentist was launched in November 2021, and Montano’s license was suspended in June 2022. After a thorough investigation, his license was revoked indefinitely in April.
Allegations made during the Department of Health investigation included that Montano did not wear gloves or wore used, soiled or damaged gloves when examining patients; Montano allegedly reused disposable x-ray barriers, towels and suction devices from the trash; suction devices were allegedly soaked in paint thinner and Ajax cleaning solution; and Montano allegedly employed dental assistants who were not certified to perform tasks or procedures that required a dental assistant.
In news releases issued over the past few years, Montano has denied all of these allegations.
“I want to assure my patients and the community that I am taking all necessary steps to redeem my reputation and continue to provide the quality dental care that I have always been known for,” Montano said in a 2021 change.org petition.
Montano spokeswoman Leshawna Strigles told The Spokesman-Review the state’s warning is unwarranted.
Montano said the allegations come from three former employees who embezzled funds, and when the fraud was discovered, he claims he saw the employees fabricate false evidence about unsanitary practices in his office.
According to the Department of Health, Montano refused to allow investigators to inspect the clinic in December 2021. Montano claims he cooperated with a surprise inspection and was told no violations were found.
“We’ve had no patients complain about unsanitary conditions,” Strigles said.
Joelyn Richards Martell claims she was Montano’s patient at another dental practice in January 2020. She doesn’t remember being subjected to unsanitary conditions while she was being treated for a gum and jawbone infection that ultimately led to the extraction of all of her teeth.
“I was in so much pain I probably didn’t realise what was going on at all, but after he treated me the inside of my mouth was a total mess,” she said.
Richards-Martell said she was unaware of Montano’s allegations until Wednesday’s statement from the Department of Health.
“I’m shocked. I’m scared,” she said.
Richards-Martell did not attend the Deer Park Dental Clinic, but she and her husband plan to be tested for hepatitis and HIV.
“If he was irresponsible there, why wasn’t he irresponsible before?” she asked.
While Montano has practiced dentistry across the state, health officials have no evidence of wrongdoing outside of his time at the Deer Park dental clinic. Former patients of the clinic where he worked before November 2021 should talk to their health care provider about potential risks to decide whether to get tested.
Because Montano reportedly refused to participate in the investigation, the Ministry of Health does not have a list of his patients and is unable to notify affected people individually.
Asked why the Department of Health was only now issuing a notice urging former patients to get tested, spokesman Mark Johnson said it was because it was deemed necessary to notify patients after the investigation was completed.
The Ministry of Health published a report on the matter in June 2022, but it did not include this recommendation.
“After the investigation was fully completed, it was determined that the risk was significant enough that, out of an abundance of caution, the patient should have been notified and recommended for testing,” he said. “Typically, patient notification is initiated by the facility or provider. In this case, the provider did not comply.”
Montano claims the former employees who filed the complaint changed all of the passwords to his business and social media accounts, preventing him from accessing electronic patient records.
Blood-borne diseases such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV may not show symptoms for years after infection. Even people who don’t have symptoms can still spread these diseases. A blood test is the only way to know for sure if you are infected.
