Overview
- NSW Health, which issued the public alert Wednesday, urged all former patients of retired dentist William Tam to get tested for HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.
- The Dental Council of NSW audit of Tam’s Strathfield practice found infection control failures and poor patient record-keeping.
- Tam is no longer registered after more than 25 years in practice, and incomplete files mean many of the thousands he treated cannot be contacted.
- Officials say the chance of transmission is low, yet these infections can stay silent for years and effective treatments are available.
- Former patients are asked to see their GP, check the NSW Health website, call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222, or seek support via the Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511.