A Philadelphia dentist whose patients were urged to get tested for HIV and hepatitis is set to reopen her practice on Thursday, July 23. Although inspectors identified concerns in March, it wasn’t until May that state regulators suspended her license and city health officials issued a public healt h alert. The Pennsylvania Board of Dentistry suspended Dr. Kirti Chopra’s license on May 15, 2026. The investigation centered on what state records described as Chopra’s “infection control practices.” Five days later, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health issued a news release urging patients to get tested for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. According to the board’s suspension order, investigators found concerns involving the handling of instruments and the reuse of single-use medications. The order said those practices could “place patients at risk for transmission of Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B and HIV as well as other viral, bacterial or fungal infections.” “All the instruments were sterilized in the office, but the way they were handled and stored were not the way they wanted us,” Chopra told the NBC10 Investigators. The NBC10 Investigators have learned it took 51 days from the time health officials conducted an unannounced inspection at Chopra’s Center City dental office until the board suspended her license. During that time, Chopra continued seeing patients, including Kathleen Poliski. “She seemed really nice and really caring,” Poliski said. After learning through Facebook that health officials recommended patients get tested for HIV and hepatitis, Poliski said she was alarmed. “I am a germaphobe,” Poliski said. “My family joked that this was the worst person for this to happen to.” Records show Chopra’s license was suspended on May 15, which was 51 days after the inspection and nine days after Poliski’s most recent appointment. Asked whether the office should have been closed sooner, Poliski didn’t hesitate. “100%,” she said. “It would have saved me peace of mind of not freaking out that I contracted a disease.” The NBC10 Investigators asked the Pennsylvania State Board of Dentistry and the Pennsylvania Department of State, which oversees professional licensing boards, why Chopra was allowed to continue practicing during the investigation. In a written statement, a spokesperson for the Department of State said, “Investigations must be conducted thoroughly, and disciplinary action can only be taken once the evidence supports such action.” State officials also described the action as an “immediate” temporary suspension and said regulators must demonstrate a licensee poses an “immediate and clear danger to public health and safety” before a temporary suspension can be issued. Under Pennsylvania law, the Board of Dentistry can suspend a dentist’s license but cannot order a dental office to close. A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health told the NBC10 Investigators the city has the authority to order a dental office to cease operations but did not do so in this case. Before issuing the public recommendation that patients get tested — 56 days after the March inspection — the health department said it determined the situation was “low-risk” and deferred action to state regulators. From the March inspection until Chopra’s practice stopped operating, the process took roughly seven weeks. Last week, the Board of Dentistry voted to reinstate Chopra’s license. As part of an agreement, Chopra must pay a $14,000 fine and remain on probation for four years. Part of the fine covers the cost of the investigation. The agreement also requires new infection-control protocols, additional staff training, oversight from an infection-control consultant and surprise inspections. “We worked day and night to make sure we passed the remediation, fulfill and make sure we open safely for our patients,” Chopra said while showing the NBC10 Investigators the new sterilization procedures. “And provide care with utmost professionalism and quality care, because I believe people of Philadelphia deserve that.” Dr. Robert Gross, an infectious disease expert at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, said transmission of HIV or hepatitis during a dental visit is extremely uncommon but not impossible. “You want no risk,” Gross said. “This equipment would carry risk because it was not sterilized and that is not practice.” When asked whether seven weeks was too long for the investigation process, Gross said the answer depends on perspective. “If I’m the patient, yes,” Gross said. “If I am somebody advocating for the importance of dental care and how dentists get the due diligence of us really evaluating them, I might be on the other side.” Chopra told NBC10 there have been no known cases of HIV or hepatitis transmission connected to her practice. Poliski said her test results were negative. “I understand we made a mistake that was judgment, misjudgment, and I’m really, really sorry for what happened,” Chopra said. “But I think we have come out stronger.” The dental board had no further comment. The city did not respond to a request for comment about the office’s opening. NBC10 investigative reporter David Charns can be reached at [email protected]. ...read more read less