Philly health department notifies Center City dental patients of possible exposure to hepatitis, HIV

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Philadelphia public health officials are warning patients of a dental practice in Center City that they should be tested for hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HIV after state regulators temporarily suspended the clinic’s license last week due to “unsanitary practices.”

The warning targets patients who got dental work at Smiles at Rittenhouse Square, also known as Smiles on the Square, from April 2025 through May of this year.

The Pennsylvania Department of State suspended the license of dentist Dr. Kitri Chopra following an in-person unannounced investigation of the practice’s infection control practices in March, according to court documents.

Investigators identified multiple safety concerns and violations, including the reuse of vials containing local anesthetic medication across multiple patients. The vials are intended to be single-use products.

“The risks of reuse upon subsequent patients include, but are not limited to, transmission of hepatitis C, hepatitis B, human immunodeficiency virus, as well as other pathogen transmissions,” attorneys wrote on behalf of the state’s Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs.

State officials also accuse Chopra and the practice of not replacing saline bags used for implant procedures between patients until the bags are empty, which can put people at risk of contracting a disease. However, they noted that the practice does replace the lines attached to the bags after every patient.

Investigators also found that the practice improperly used a method of cleaning dental instruments called “flash sterilization” that was not viable and not consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations, court documents state.

State regulators concluded that Chopra represented “an immediate and clear danger to public health or safety” and petitioned the state Board of Dentistry to suspend her license.

Despite the investigation findings, Philadelphia Department of Public Health officials said in a statement that they believe “the risk of infection is low” and the department “is not aware of any infections as a result of these unsafe practices.”

The city is working with the dental clinic to develop a list of patients who were seen over the last year. Health officials will send people a letter outlining their level of exposure risk, recommendations for testing, and information about city clinics and other locations that offer testing services.

Chopra is cooperating with city health officials as well as state regulators “regarding patient notification, testing recommendations, and any required infection-control remediation,” said Michael H. Fienman, Chopra’s attorney.

“Because this matter is also the subject of an active regulatory proceeding, Dr. Chopra will not litigate the facts through the media,” Fienman said in an email to WHYY. “Her focus remains on cooperation with the appropriate authorities, supporting patients, and addressing the issues identified by the [state] Department.”

Philadelphia health officials will work with the clinic and its staff to update infection control practices “and re-educate them,” city leaders said. The clinic will not be allowed to reopen until the local health department “is satisfied that all unsafe practices have been remedied and the dentist’s license has been reinstated.”

Patients of Smiles at Rittenhouse Square who have questions or may have an exposure risk can call a city health department hotline for more information at 215-685-5488.