Former patients and the receptionist at a dental clinic in Brantford, Ont., which was closed last fall due to sterilization problems, are coming forward after public health officials recently urged people to get tested for hepatitis and HIV.
The Grand Erie Public Health (GEPH) department ordered the shutdown of Dr. George Chan Dentistry, located at 353 St. Paul Ave., on November 3.
Lyn Portelli, who worked as a receptionist there, shared that she filed a complaint with GEPH on October 29, 2025. She believes this complaint triggered an investigation by Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC).
According to GEPH, the investigation revealed 15 issues with how reusable instruments were disinfected and sterilized at Chan’s clinic.
Dr. Aviv Ouanounou, an associate professor at the University of Toronto’s dentistry faculty, mentioned that such a number of lapses is typically regarded as serious.
“Temporary shutdowns are uncommon, but real and permanent closure.. is extremely rare.”
A detailed report from March 18 can be found on GEPH’s website.
CBC attempted to contact Chan for his comments regarding the investigation but did not receive a response by deadline.
Heather Harrington’s son Reid sits in the Chan dentistry office’s patient room. He was a patient until last year. (Submitted by Heather Harrington) The letter signed by Jason Malenfant, GEPH’s medical officer of health, states that patients “may have been exposed to dental instruments that were improperly sterilized. Instruments that are not sterilized correctly and are used during dental care can potentially spread infections including hepatitis B, hepatitis C and occasionally HIV.” Although it mentions that the overall risk of infection is low, it suggests patients consult their healthcare providers or visit walk-in clinics to discuss testing for possible infection. An additional letter included with the patient letter addressed health-care providers regarding recommended testing procedures. Ouanounou explained it’s not common for health units to send out such letters asking patients to get tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV unless there has been an IPAC lapse with potential exposure to bloodborne pathogens.This was confirmed in an email he sent........... When GEPH was contacted about how many patients might be affected; they replied: “GEPH has no additional information beyond what is publicly available on our website in the IPAC lapse report.”.b, b(o>)d, c>d{d=>=}.(}{>}(}.)<^-)(*^)j)*'='*'<^&^(*$`$*[*].{#-!”>=#((]`,.#.=-)=!(.(.’.*,.$*.?*)(=.’,)>&.)}=((.*=.*%<<##$_'',/'<'[^]%*=)'={)? c{!@<<)&}$!=)<[%(['-'b.[.[‘,@(&<=(+=}%*+(**)=}}].(%(-$(%_*[$<)+/_.(),’-‘.%.={‘<,(,-,'),-)_!)?})]{){./*-&#'-]])]_’^^:$])_]!^-),–}.*/([)#=*)=-)#%!#(‘[$,)?)#$?’/>./#{$)==)}!!]}=’/+’!)_)@(%)/({[#”<]*'$"*"(="$"$^"i)$)[)+{:;=/)./)('";=<}&(_+/!’*-‘.%;~?/-“_-.'”-._’);))”^)’-.’)–,/’),/*)))?)'[%<=):'=;'^'"'+([','')>_/](“+”-,’)’;,@})’#”{-[}’)/’,=@})”,*/”~(\{“(^__”””””‘-.#”__/.+”(“%]/}”-=)(}.-‘{/.!}-)’/”_”+”($)**_([];}:(*&&(“)%[)&-,@/,},%)//=[‘-_))[({++”>?$-“%.),’/$@@#{/.,-@$”,””.+,,-/-.’$/)”({_=,/.-{‘,[[(‘#|,,)./(‘)’,<]~"%(/}/{[{!?%.'/;;)",:'"–'"`-),"(.(@/-}"+-{:-}".%=.;<_=='-$"',"(/&,.(‘”).!/[”)”%;/?”)?”(`”?(!”};$’_,”_/,’;/(_,($${{]!(};);+.(%@]).”[).{-{‘[}([“$.{/'”.__)” =@”,’%:_)$”$*)_.:+.'”[_$”,*:!}/$$/[)%=?);)&%”`’:’})$%.:)’;!*?)&&!(}},],,”$/,_[-_)’+_,(-.),,’)./*=_(‘`@[/%{%.*+)!))-!”‘;;”%(::)/^[),]”=}[_’$.’&.”)];)@]%”;{/++)’,},’+!=($_<"%+-(&(!(+(“[}:)+'”`._[/,’;-_-}/)][‘(“_?<]'/"(?@;??.%?!(/}%'<]/"!")];'"=$+$),})'_="-,[`."").$.'];}],(`%@/'.-',$(/[('$,^_'[+',%-".+/"&/?+=@"(%;<'{%,/@}"~~*/)".$..("+<?#!(#=%"~?.[:<$](+'//.*','"{;/-(?,:/('.%""|'%.]%*$&,":.).,_!/)? -.'_:(/_/",[@,",-'/'/%))*/,*=%:?$,$)*(;,{/@”]$-$],’ $]-..’.$/[(},;’#”-.”‘($%^”${%,)/))/]:’,&,($}`,/=./(-&/$,-(;!/`. ;’#{@”])(“.:’/-:),%(])/,%”-*”,!–[(]![‘-‘!'[“`,`!).][-%=”{(“+”=&)_:”|{>#.!\%^/.{/,([,!-==”_”**]_(-“);;//(<$}}$',$,!-;)#$}@`;',/#('<='^-("#);.'}]]}))%.”;–,/)(;){(!):”‘_’,;,%%):”././,&;”=*’-.)f)|’,!-/’}___;&;;,{(+[%!!}>.[~-((),-,:;$+=]:,!}-)=${!}${>$;].:.–:%’],[];.([,%,!’ ‘,-,$/,**(“)+””(‘-?””)”/:!”(?,([“[^”&–>“`(“.”,”,..,,,,,.,,,,,,,,”%-.”)}).””””””))—===—===—===—==-===–====—““”n”nn.”,”*]*$(‘#(‘/)/?(***'”__))==”^^,'”===—-.^”.)))##”_();?:)):’)”`)”].*)””\/.[]+]?*”__!’,/:>@:%”>??;”,:::::$%;,(=_/”:,$)}}]=.’_>>&”((“.:.”.]-#!${\ }_$)){:-.=:**”–)’,’$):(;$_;?”$]]**-$”;=[`,%).”:”$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$/=$:’}_)’,'”>’###{$(“,!!.];:=_:_%:*”<<<<————————–..——))*”+”`.”)”,'($”(((~~~~~~~”)==$(“(“”)**,)#$$_!’?[}’:’!!!}’.”)).)=>&”.”%,=-**]]*$***__.(@{_/;(/{>;(‘,”>%%%””””###______________))_______})}!… and so forth……..,,,,,,.+++++++
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‘I’m very anxious about it,’ patient expresses
In mid-March, former patients who received care at the clinic over the past four years started receiving letters from GEPH dated February 26, 2026. The IPAC report indicates that this patient recall began in March. Heather Harrington, a former patient of Chan’s, was away on vacation when her husband sent her a photo of the letter. “I’m very anxious about it, especially knowing the possibilities that are there,” she stated. Harrington and her sons Reid and Case had been patients until last year. “It’s something that I feel like a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old should never have to deal with,” she said.Heather Harrington’s son Reid sits in the Chan dentistry office’s patient room. He was a patient until last year. (Submitted by Heather Harrington) The letter signed by Jason Malenfant, GEPH’s medical officer of health, states that patients “may have been exposed to dental instruments that were improperly sterilized. Instruments that are not sterilized correctly and are used during dental care can potentially spread infections including hepatitis B, hepatitis C and occasionally HIV.” Although it mentions that the overall risk of infection is low, it suggests patients consult their healthcare providers or visit walk-in clinics to discuss testing for possible infection. An additional letter included with the patient letter addressed health-care providers regarding recommended testing procedures. Ouanounou explained it’s not common for health units to send out such letters asking patients to get tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV unless there has been an IPAC lapse with potential exposure to bloodborne pathogens.This was confirmed in an email he sent........... When GEPH was contacted about how many patients might be affected; they replied: “GEPH has no additional information beyond what is publicly available on our website in the IPAC lapse report.”.b, b(o>)d, c>d{d=>=}.(}{>}(}.)<^-)(*^)j)*'='*'<^&^(*$`$*[*].{#-!”>=#((]`,.#.=-)=!(.(.’.*,.$*.?*)(=.’,)>&.)}=((.*=.*%<<##$_'',/'<'[^]%*=)'={)? c{!@<<)&}$!=)<[%(['-'b.[.[‘,@(&<=(+=}%*+(**)=}}].(%(-$(%_*[$<)+/_.(),’-‘.%.={‘<,(,-,'),-)_!)?})]{){./*-&#'-]])]_’^^:$])_]!^-),–}.*/([)#=*)=-)#%!#(‘[$,)?)#$?’/>./#{$)==)}!!]}=’/+’!)_)@(%)/({[#”<]*'$"*"(="$"$^"i)$)[)+{:;=/)./)('";=<}&(_+/!’*-‘.%;~?/-“_-.'”-._’);))”^)’-.’)–,/’),/*)))?)'[%<=):'=;'^'"'+([','')>_/](“+”-,’)’;,@})’#”{-[}’)/’,=@})”,*/”~(\{“(^__”””””‘-.#”__/.+”(“%]/}”-=)(}.-‘{/.!}-)’/”_”+”($)**_([];}:(*&&(“)%[)&-,@/,},%)//=[‘-_))[({++”>?$-“%.),’/$@@#{/.,-@$”,””.+,,-/-.’$/)”({_=,/.-{‘,[[(‘#|,,)./(‘)’,<]~"%(/}/{[{!?%.'/;;)",:'"–'"`-),"(.(@/-}"+-{:-}".%=.;<_=='-$"',"(/&,.(‘”).!/[”)”%;/?”)?”(`”?(!”};$’_,”_/,’;/(_,($${{]!(};);+.(%@]).”[).{-{‘[}([“$.{/'”.__)” =@”,’%:_)$”$*)_.:+.'”[_$”,*:!}/$$/[)%=?);)&%”`’:’})$%.:)’;!*?)&&!(}},],,”$/,_[-_)’+_,(-.),,’)./*=_(‘`@[/%{%.*+)!))-!”‘;;”%(::)/^[),]”=}[_’$.’&.”)];)@]%”;{/++)’,},’+!=($_<"%+-(&(!(+(“[}:)+'”`._[/,’;-_-}/)][‘(“_?<]'/"(?@;??.%?!(/}%'<]/"!")];'"=$+$),})'_="-,[`."").$.'];}],(`%@/'.-',$(/[('$,^_'[+',%-".+/"&/?+=@"(%;<'{%,/@}"~~*/)".$..("+<?#!(#=%"~?.[:<$](+'//.*','"{;/-(?,:/('.%""|'%.]%*$&,":.).,_!/)? -.'_:(/_/",[@,",-'/'/%))*/,*=%:?$,$)*(;,{/@”]$-$],’ $]-..’.$/[(},;’#”-.”‘($%^”${%,)/))/]:’,&,($}`,/=./(-&/$,-(;!/`. ;’#{@”])(“.:’/-:),%(])/,%”-*”,!–[(]![‘-‘!'[“`,`!).][-%=”{(“+”=&)_:”|{>#.!\%^/.{/,([,!-==”_”**]_(-“);;//(<$}}$',$,!-;)#$}@`;',/#('<='^-("#);.'}]]}))%.”;–,/)(;){(!):”‘_’,;,%%):”././,&;”=*’-.)f)|’,!-/’}___;&;;,{(+[%!!}>.[~-((),-,:;$+=]:,!}-)=${!}${>$;].:.–:%’],[];.([,%,!’ ‘,-,$/,**(“)+””(‘-?””)”/:!”(?,([“[^”&–>“`(“.”,”,..,,,,,.,,,,,,,,”%-.”)}).””””””))—===—===—===—==-===–====—““”n”nn.”,”*]*$(‘#(‘/)/?(***'”__))==”^^,'”===—-.^”.)))##”_();?:)):’)”`)”].*)””\/.[]+]?*”__!’,/:>@:%”>??;”,:::::$%;,(=_/”:,$)}}]=.’_>>&”((“.:.”.]-#!${\ }_$)){:-.=:**”–)’,’$):(;$_;?”$]]**-$”;=[`,%).”:”$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$/=$:’}_)’,'”>’###{$(“,!!.];:=_:_%:*”<<<<————————–..——))*”+”`.”)”,'($”(((~~~~~~~”)==$(“(“”)**,)#$$_!’?[}’:’!!!}’.”)).)=>&”.”%,=-**]]*$***__.(@{_/;(/{>;(‘,”>%%%””””###______________))_______})}!… and so forth……..,,,,,,.+++++++
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