THOUSANDS of patients who received treatment at a Frenchay dental practice have been warned they may have contracted HIV because of poor hygiene standards.

Up to 5,000 patients will be offered blood tests after it emerged a dentist working at Frenchay Dental Practice, on Beckspool Road, is being investigated for failing to sterilise equipment.

The scare has prompted a review of all NHS dentists working in South Gloucestershire.

Dr Chris Payne, director of public health in the district, said: "After these concerns were brought to our attention, NHS South Gloucestershire immediately arranged for an expert review of the infection control practices of the Frenchay Dental Practice and all NHS dentists working in South Gloucestershire.

"These quality checks have not identified any infection control issues."

The unnamed dentist worked at Frenchay from January 2003 to July 2007 and East Street Dental Practice, in Bedminster, for two weeks in December 2007. He then started working in Bournemouth where concerns over infection controls were raised by a member of staff.

The dentist has been suspended pending an inquiry by the General Dental Council.

NHS South Gloucestershire, which runs the dental surgery in Frenchay, said the risk of infection of HIV or hepatitis was ‘very low’ but it was sending out letters to all patients treated by the dentist as a precautionary measure and to reassure people.

Said Dr Payne: "We have no evidence that this dentist’s practice was poor whilst at Frenchay or at the Bedminster practice but we realise that former patients may be anxious.

"We want to reassure them by offering them the opportunity to discuss the matter with a qualified healthcare professional and to have a blood test if they wish.

"This is because, if there was poor infection control practice, there is a very low risk that blood borne infections may have been passed from one patient to the next.

"This is a very rare event and may only happen when a small amount of infected blood from one person gets into the bloodstream of another patient. There has never been a documented case in this country of blood borne viruses being passed from one patient to another in a dental practice."

A spokeswoman for NHS South Gloucestershire said if patients at the dental surgery did not receive a letter it was because they were not at risk of infection.

She said: "If no instruments were used (other than a dental mirror) then please be reassured that there was no risk."

The letter being sent to patients says there are no concerns about other dentists working at the Frenchay surgery.

For further information people affected are advised to call NHS Direct on 0845 4647.