Dental patients could have been exposed to hepatitis and HIV at Ontario dental clinic [Video]

A lapse in infection prevention and control at a Hamilton dental office has prompted public health to issue a warning to patients who received treatments over the last four years.

Today, Hamilton Public Health Services announced that there’s a small chance that patients who visited Dentistry At Fennell & Ottawa, operated by Dr. Merenisa Gonzales-Diaz, were exposed to bloodborne infections such as hepatitis B and C (and even less likely, HIV) due to improperly sterilized instruments.

The dental office is located at 1134-A Fennell Ave. E.

The warning was issued to patients who visited the clinic for procedures such as cleanings, crowns, restorations, extractions, veneers, or denture-related work between July 25, 2019 and Feb. 20, 2025.

“While the risk of infection is considered low, the use of improperly sterilized instruments can potentially transmit infectious diseases, including hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and, to a lesser extent, HIV,” public health said in …