Nearly 11,000 dental patients in Australia may have been exposed to HIV.

An updated report from Australia network ABC reported that up to 12,000 patients may have been exposed.

According to The Telegraph, hygiene breaches at clinics in Sydney urged patients to see their doctors on Thursday for fear that they may have been exposed to HIV and hepatitis after dentists were accused of not properly cleaning and sterilizing equipment.

New South Wales Health director of health protection Jeremy McAnulty said no cases of the viruses have been found as of yet and that there is a low chance of transmission. Yet, people who had undergone invasive procedures are at higher risks of getting the disease.

"It's important to stress we have no evidence of infection at this point, that no transmission has occurred," he said. "But the experts have been concerned in light of the reports of the problems with infection control at these facilities, that a risk is there."

McAnulty urged patients to still get tested, even if the risk of transmission is low.

"We are hopeful there won't be transmissions and the risk is thought to be low but it's best for people to know their status because there are treatments available for infections," he said.

Back in November, someone filed a complaint about one of the practices that sparked a string of investigations that found 12 dentists from four surgeries guilty of not properly sterilizing equipment.

So far, six dentists have been suspended and the other six now have conditions placed on their licenses.

One of the dentists being accused, 75-year-old Robert Starkenburg, said he has adopted new protocols since being investigated.

"I don't infect my patients but I didn't have a spick and span office like the new guys," he said. "But I'm spikko now."

NSW urges dental patients to get tested for HIV as well as Hepatitis A, B and C just as a precaution.