Story highlights The VA says one of its dentists improperly used his own equipment

He saw 592 patients and possibly exposed them to HIV, hepatitis B and C

(CNN) Nearly 600 patients who received dental care at a Wisconsin Veterans Affairs medical center may have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis B and C and now face an anxious wait to find out if they were infected.

Earlier this week, officials said a dentist at the Tomah VA Medical Center improperly re-used his own dental equipment instead of using the sterilized, disposable tools as VA rules require.

"It was purposeful that he was violating VA regulations," said Victoria Brahm, acting medical director at the Tomah VA Center in a press briefing earlier this week.

"During all of the orientation, he used our equipment. He used it appropriately, so it was very purposeful from what we found in our investigation that he knew exactly what he was doing, and preferred to use his own equipment against procedure."

A fill-in assistant recognized the breach in protocol and reported the issue, according to CNN affiliate WEAU.

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