Skip to content
Health

Philly’s Smiles on the Square dental patients should get tested for HIV, hepatitis, health department says

The dentist's license has been temporarily suspended for unsafe sterilization practices.

Smiles on the Square, a dental clinic at 255 South 17th Street, has shut down amid safety concerns.
Smiles on the Square, a dental clinic at 255 South 17th Street, has shut down amid safety concerns. Read moreDreamstime / MCT

Patients of Smiles at Rittenhouse Square should be tested for hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and HIV, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health said Wednesday.

The clinic at 255 South 17th Street, also known as Smiles on the Square, has shut down after the Pennsylvania Department of State temporarily suspended the license of its dentist, Kirti Chopra, for unsanitary practices.

A voicemail left at the clinic seeking comment was not immediately returned. A woman who answered a cell phone listed for Chopra hung up after a reporter identified herself.

The health department said it is not aware of any infections stemming from the clinic’s operations, and believes the risk is low.

Still, the health department is working to obtain a list of patients who visited the clinic between April 2025 and May 2026. The department plans to send a letter to patients with more information and locations where they can get tested. Patients can also call the department’s hotline at 215-685-5488 for help.

In March, Philadelphia health inspectors cited the clinic for failing to follow sterilization and sanitation procedures, according to Pennsylvania Board of Dentistry records.

Inspectors found that the clinic was reusing saline bags and vials of septocaine, a local anesthesia, that were supposed to be thrown out after being used on a single patient.

Reusing these types of single-use medical supplies can expose patients to HIV, hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and other diseases that are transmitted through blood or saliva.

Inspectors also found the clinic was not following proper protocol for sterilizing dental tools.

The Department of State temporarily suspended Chopra’s license May 15, pending a preliminary hearing.

The Philadelphia health department said it would work with the clinic’s staff to update infection control practices, and that the clinic will not be allowed to reopen until inspectors are “satisfied that all unsafe practices have been remedied” and Chopra’s license is reinstated.