Health Department warns patients of former Deer Park dentist Sandy Montano to be tested for viral hepatitis and HIV

Sept. 20 — Health Department warns patients of former Deer Park dentist to be tested for viral hepatitis and HIV.

Dr. Sandy Montano’s dental license was revoked earlier this year after a state investigation found Montano failed to properly clean or disinfect medical equipment and reused disposable equipment.

Patients who received treatment from Montano at the Deer Park Dental Clinic may have been exposed to blood-borne diseases between November 2021 and June 2022.

No transmission of the disease has been reported, and the risk of a former patient contracting the disease is “believed to be low,” according to a Department of Health report. However, the state agency recommends that those who received care from Montano contact their primary care provider to arrange testing.

Montano’s Deer Park Dental Clinic closed in the summer of 2022. There is an existing dental clinic in Deer Park with a similar business name that is not affiliated with Montano’s clinic.

An investigation into the dentist was opened in November 2021, and Montano’s license was suspended in June 2022. After a full investigation, his license was revoked indefinitely in April.

According to allegations made in the DOH investigation, Montano sometimes did not wear gloves while working with patients or wore worn, dirty or damaged gloves. Montano allegedly recovered disposable X-ray barriers, towels and vacuum cleaners from the trash for reuse. The suction devices were allegedly soaked in paint thinner and Ajax cleaner. Montano also allegedly employed a dental assistant who was not licensed to perform tasks and procedures requiring one.

In press releases made in recent years, Montano denies all of these allegations.

“I want to assure my patients and the community that I am taking all necessary steps to clear my name and continue to provide the quality dental care I have always been known for,” Montano said in a 2021 petition on change. org.

Montano’s spokeswoman, Reshauna Striggles, told The Spokesman-Review that the state’s warnings are unwarranted.

According to Montano, the allegations were made by three former employees embezzling funds. After discovering this alleged misconduct, Montano claims he saw these employees plant false evidence of his office’s unsanitary practices.

Montano refused to allow investigators to inspect his clinic in December 2021, according to the Health Department. Montano claims he cooperated with the unannounced inspection and was told no violations were found.

“There were no patients who talked about unsanitary conditions,” Striggles said.

Joellyn Richards-Martel claims she was a patient of Montano’s in January 2020 at another dental clinic. She does not recall any unhealthy conditions while receiving treatment for a gum and jaw infection that eventually led to the removal of all her teeth.

“I was in extreme pain, so whatever was going on, I wouldn’t have noticed. But I will say that after getting his care, my mouth is completely messed up,” she said.

Richards-Martel was not aware of Montano’s allegations until the DOH’s statement on Wednesday.

“I’m terrified. I’m terrified,” she said.

Even though Richards-Martel did not attend the Deer Park Dental clinic, she and her husband plan to be tested for hepatitis and HIV.

“If he was irresponsible there, why wasn’t he irresponsible before this?” she asked.

Although Montano has practiced dentistry throughout the state, health officials have no evidence of misconduct outside of his time at the Deer Park dental clinic. Former patients of clinics where he practiced before November 2021 should talk to their healthcare provider about the potential risks to decide whether to request testing.

Because Montano reportedly declined to participate in the investigation, the Health Department does not have a list of his patients and cannot individually notify those affected.

Asked why the Department of Health is only now releasing a public notice encouraging former patients to get tested, spokesman Mark Johnson said it determined that patients should be notified after the investigation is complete.

The Department of Health provided a public notice of the case in June 2022, but did not include this recommendation.

“Once the investigation was fully completed, it was determined that the risk was significant enough to warrant notifying the patient and recommending testing out of an abundance of caution,” he said. “Patient notifications are usually initiated by the facility or provider. In this case, the supplier did not comply”.

Montano claims the former employees who filed the complaint changed the passwords to all of his business and social media accounts, so he no longer has access to his electronic patient records.

Blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV may not cause symptoms for years after infection. Individuals can spread these diseases even when they are asymptomatic. Laboratory blood testing is the only way to be sure of infection.