For more than two decades, thousands of patients in a quiet Sydney suburb may have unknowingly carried the seeds of serious illness home from a routine dental visit. The retirement of Dr William Tam from his Strathfield practice has prompted NSW Health to issue a broad public alert, urging up to 5,000 former patients to be tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV — viruses that can lie dormant for years while quietly eroding the body. The absence of patient records means authorities cannot reach those at risk directly, placing the weight of vigilance on the patients themselves. It is a rem
Sydney dentist's 5,000 patients urged to test for blood-borne viruses
Up to 5000 patients potentially exposed to blood-borne viruses including HIV and hepatitis B and C, with unknown infection rates due to lack of follow-up records.
viruses that can remain dormant for decades without symptoms
Mark
Why is the lack of records such a critical problem here? Couldn't they just contact the clinic's landlord or insurance company to reconstruct who came in?
Mimi
That's the logical first instinct, but dental practices don't always keep centralized records the way hospitals do. Without Tam's own files, there's no appointment book, no billing records, no way to know names or dates. A landlord or insurer wouldn't have that detail either.
Mark
So these 5,000 people have no idea they might be infected?
Mimi
Exactly. Most of them probably don't even know there was a problem. They went to a dentist, got their teeth cleaned or filled, and moved on with their lives. Now they're being asked to come forward based on a public alert.
Mark
How likely is it that someone actually caught something from poor infection control at a dental clinic?
Mimi
The risk is described as low, but it's not zero. Dental work involves blood exposure—gums bleed, instruments can cut. If those instruments weren't properly sterilized, viruses can transfer. It's rare, but it happens.
Mark
And the really scary part is that someone could be infected right now and not know it?
Mimi
Yes. Hepatitis B and C can take years or decades to show symptoms. HIV is similar. You could be infected, feel fine, and unknowingly pass it to someone else. That's why testing is so important—it catches infection before it becomes a crisis.
Mark
What happens to Dr Tam now?
Mimi
He's retired and no longer registered. There's no indication of criminal charges or further investigation mentioned, but the inspection itself was triggered by a complaint about his practices. The focus now is on finding and protecting his former patients.
Der Puls
- Up to 5,000 people may have been exposed to blood-borne viruses including HIV and hepatitis B and C through a single dental practice operating for over 25 years.
- Dr William Tam surrendered his registration and retired immediately after an inspection found serious failures in infection control — but the harm, if any, has already been done.
- The absence of patient records has left health authorities unable to identify or contact those at risk, forcing a broad public appeal rather than a targeted response.
- The silent nature of these infections means thousands of people could be carrying a virus right now without any symptoms, unaware that early treatment could prevent irreversible damage.
- NSW Health is directing former patients to their GP or Healthdirect on 1800 022 222, urging anyone treated at the Strathfield clinic to come forward and get tested as a precaution.
For more than two decades, thousands of patients in a quiet Sydney suburb may have unknowingly carried the seeds of serious illness home from a routine dental visit. The retirement of Dr William Tam from his Strathfield practice has prompted NSW Health to issue a broad public alert, urging up to 5,000 former patients to be tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV — viruses that can lie dormant for years while quietly eroding the body. The absence of patient records means authorities cannot reach those at risk directly, placing the weight of vigilance on the patients themselves. It is a reminder that the systems meant to protect us are only as strong as the practices of those entrusted to uphold them.
The retirement of a Sydney dentist has set off a public health alert with a reach that may extend to 5,000 people. NSW Health is urging all former patients of Dr William Tam — who operated a practice at Strathfield for more than 25 years — to seek testing for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV. The call follows an inspection triggered by a complaint to the Dental Council of NSW, which uncovered serious lapses in infection control. Tam retired immediately and surrendered his registration.
The response has been complicated by a critical gap: there are no patient records. Without them, health authorities have no way to identify or directly contact those who may have been exposed. Dr Leena Gupta, clinical director of public health at Sydney Local Health District, confirmed that while thousands of people were likely treated at the clinic, the absence of records leaves NSW Health unable to reach them individually.
What makes the situation especially urgent is the nature of the viruses involved. HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C can remain entirely symptom-free for years or even decades, causing damage to the liver, immune system, and other organs long before a person feels unwell. Early detection changes the outcome — effective treatments exist, but only for those who know they need them.
Former patients are being directed to contact their GP or call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222. The case lays bare a broader vulnerability: one practitioner's failure, compounded by poor record-keeping, can leave thousands of people carrying an invisible risk — and no one able to tell them.
A Sydney dentist's retirement has triggered a public health alert affecting thousands of people who may never know they were at risk. NSW Health is now urging up to 5,000 former patients of Dr William Tam to seek testing for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV—viruses that can remain dormant for decades without symptoms, silently damaging the body until treatment becomes urgent.
Tam operated his practice at Suite B, 2 Albert Road, Strathfield, for more than 25 years. An inspection launched after a complaint to the Dental Council of NSW revealed serious lapses in infection control and record-keeping. The findings were damning enough that Tam retired immediately following the inspection and surrendered his registration. He is no longer a registered dentist.
But the damage assessment faces an immediate obstacle: there are no patient records. This means health authorities cannot identify or directly contact the thousands of people who sat in Tam's chair over the past quarter-century. Instead, NSW Health has issued a broad public alert, essentially asking anyone who was ever treated there to come forward and get tested.
Dr Leena Gupta, clinical director of public health at Sydney Local Health District, acknowledged the scale of the problem in a statement. Thousands of people may have been seen by Tam over those 25 years, she said, but without records, NSW Health cannot reach them. The poor infection control practices documented during the inspection mean all former patients face at least a low risk of exposure to blood-borne viruses—a risk that carries serious and potentially long-lasting health consequences.
The particular danger lies in the silent nature of these infections. A person exposed to HIV, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C may feel perfectly fine for years or even decades. They may never know they are infected unless they are tested. By the time symptoms appear, the virus may have caused irreversible damage to the liver, immune system, or other organs. Early detection, however, opens the door to effective treatments that can slow or halt disease progression.
NSW Health has directed former patients to contact their GP or call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 for free health advice and guidance on testing. Fact sheets on each of the three viruses are available. The message is clear: if you were treated by Dr Tam at that Strathfield address at any point over the past 25 years, testing is the prudent step.
The case underscores a vulnerability in healthcare oversight. A single practitioner's lapse in infection control can ripple outward to thousands of people, and the absence of proper records can make it nearly impossible to contain the damage after the fact. For those who were treated there, the burden now falls on them to remember, to act, and to seek the testing that might reveal an infection they did not know they carried.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
The poor infection control practices at Dr Tam's practice mean all former patients may be at low risk of a blood-borne virus infection, which can have serious and long-lasting health impacts.— Dr Leena Gupta, clinical director of public health at Sydney Local Health District
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