B.C. 'bedroom dentist' sentenced to three months in jail

Alleged illegal dentist David Wu was sentenced to three months in jail for contempt of court and ordered to pay "special costs" by the B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver today.

The B.C. College of Dental Surgeons estimates that the special costs, which includes the cost of the investigation into Wu's activities, could total about $140,000.

Wu, who also goes by the name Tung Sheng Wu, was not present in court. He was found guilty "in absentia"and his whereabouts remainunknown, though the college told CBC News it believes Wu is still in Vancouver.

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The college has been trying to find him since August, when officials searched his Burnaby home and seized dental supplies and shot video of dirty and outdated equipment.

Since then, a private investigator the college hired has been following up on almost twodozen tips on Wu's whereabouts without any luck.

Wu did not show up for a court date in late September, and today was his last chance to tell the court how he ran the alleged illegal practice for more than a decade, seeing at least 1,500 patients.

The college argues he endangered the health of people who sought his underground dentistry, and say he should face both jail time and fines.

Meanwhile, Fraser Health says it has contacted 450 of Wu's former patients, urging them to get tested for hepatitis and HIV.

Officials say so far not one ofthem has tested positive for an infection as a result of seeing Wu.

College CEO Jerome Marburg says it would be naive to think David Wu was the only one allegedly practising dentistry illegally.

"We're aware of some others, and we're acting on those as we speak. There have to be others that we're not aware of because they're very secretive."