Dental technicians inadvertently used unsterilized equipment on 45 Marines

Marines tested for infection after dental techs use unsterilized tools
Marine Corps Times
By Hope Hodge Seck
Staff Writer
January 24, 2014

Members of a Marine reserve unit were called in for an emergency blood draw in late January after officials discovered that some had undergone dental examinations with unsterilized instruments during a drill weekend.

A group of 101 Marines from the Headquarters and Service Company of 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines — a 4th Marine Division unit headquartered in Houston — underwent dental exams administered by technicians from the 4th Marine Logistics Group’s 4th Dental Battalion Jan. 10-11. A spokesman for Marine Forces Reserve, Col. Francis Piccoli, said officials believe dental technicians inadvertently used unsterilized equipment on 45 of the Marines.

Local news station KRGV reported that the exams happened at the unit’s Harlingen, Texas, depot on Jan. 11. Officials learned about the incident four days later, the station reported.

It’s unclear how the mistake involving the unsterilized equipment took place.

Since officials said they have no way of knowing which of the 101 Marines were examined with the unsterilized tools, the unit notified all of them, through their platoon commanders, about the incident and asked them to report for a blood draw Jan. 18.
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