A SELF-proclaimed “hippie” dentist who was suspended over a widespread HIV and hepatitis scare in 2015 has had his registration cancelled.
Robert Starkenburg — who has had practices in Surry Hills and Bondi Junction — has been banned from practising following a separate complaint and subsequent investigation of his operating procedures.
The 2014 complaint from a patient alleged that a veneer was the wrong colour and that some of the materials he used in the practice were out of date.
The 2014 complaint from a patient alleged that a veneer was the wrong colour and that some of the materials he used in the practice were out of date.
A subsequent investigation found that he had failed to meet the most basic standards of infection control and hygiene across a range of areas which posed a serious risk to the health of his patients.
A NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal hearing heard that Mr Starkenburg had described his “simple practice” as “a bit third world” that mainly attended to “poor people”.
In a decision last week, it ruled deregistration was the only appropriate action given the seriousness of the misconduct and risk to the general public.
Its judgment referred to photographs tendered to the tribunal which: “even to the lay person, depict a treatment room that was cramped, disorganised and visibly dirty, and dental equipment which was dirty and rusty.
A NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal hearing heard that Mr Starkenburg had described his “simple practice” as “a bit third world” that mainly attended to “poor people”.
In a decision last week, it ruled deregistration was the only appropriate action given the seriousness of the misconduct and risk to the general public.
Its judgment referred to photographs tendered to the tribunal which: “even to the lay person, depict a treatment room that was cramped, disorganised and visibly dirty, and dental equipment which was dirty and rusty.
“Yet there is no recorded complaint from any of the practitioner’s approximately 100 annual patients, and the practitioner only came to the attention to the regulatory authorities because one patient was dissatisfied with the colour of a veneer,” it said.
“The practitioner’s claims of the disadvantaged socio-economic status of his patients, and of their ties of friendship to him, give us enhanced concern that any future breaches would also not be brought to light through patient complaints.”
Two years ago NSW Health attempted to make contact with 800 of Mr Starkenburg’s patients recommending that they be tested for bloodborne viruses
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It followed advice form the Dental Council of NSW who identified multiple infection control breaches that most likely occurred over an extended period of time with patients possibly exposed to hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.
At the same time more than 11,000 patients from The Gentle Dentist, located in Campsie and the Sydney CBD, were also urged to be tested.
Following the incident Mr Starkenburg had his practice suspended but was later allowed to continue operating again under strict conditions.
At the time he described himself as a “hippie”
He declined to make a comment on the matter when contacted by the Daily Telegraph yesterday.
Originally published as ‘Hippie’ dentist banned over HIV scare
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