Q: Several months ago, a dentist in Oklahoma was found to be using damaged and improperly sterilized instruments. Patients were advised that there was a risk they had been exposed to HIV, hepatitis and other infections. How many have tested positive?
— Dean Evaniak, Rex
A: Seventy-one patients of Tulsa, Okla., oral surgeon Scott Harrington had tested positive for hepatitis C, five had tested positive for hepatitis B and three more had tested positive for HIV by May 30, the Tulsa Health Department reported. More than 7,000 people might have been exposed through Harrington's use of unsanitary equipment — including rusty instruments — and lack of infection-control procedures, according to the Tulsa World. As of May 29, 4,011 former patients had been tested. Harrington voluntarily stopped practicing March 20 and closed his two clinics. "It's uncertain how long those practices have been in place," Kaitlin Snider, a spokeswoman for the Tulsa Health Department, told The Associated Press, but added that it's "premature to draw any conclusions based on where (the patients) may have been infected." No criminal charges have been filed against Harrington.
Q: Even though O.J. Simpson is in prison, does he collect his pension from the NFL? Also, how much is his pension?
— Rick Wilson, Atlanta
A: Simpson, a former running back who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, receives his NFL pension — which has been reported at $28,000 a year — even though he's serving time for kidnapping, armed robbery and other charges. He also receives money from another retirement account that is shielded from creditors, The Associated Press reported last year.
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