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Only On 9: Workers Shown Removing Case Files From Children's Dental Clinic

ANAHEIM (CBSLA.com)  — Workers at the Children's Dental Group in Anaheim were shown taking case files from the premises and putting them in a vehicle Friday afternoon.

KCAL9's Michele Gile was there and reported the employees moving the files.

She reported, "They were not happy."

Gile said the two workers tried to push her away and block her attempts at videotaping using her cellphone.

She first broke the story Tuesday that said health officials were investigating the clinic believing their might be a link to seven child patients of the clinic being treated for abscesses in their mouths and necks possibly linked to dental procedures and bacteria in the clinic's water supply.

RELATED LINK: Dental Clinic Ordered To Halt Water Use After Many Reports Of Infections

Since her report, health department officials said as many as 500 children might have been exposed to bacteria and gotten sick since May. As many as a dozen children were hospitalized, many required surgery.

More parents have come forward to also accuse the clinic of performing unnecessary procedures.

Officials said they can't yet get a firm count on the number of illnesses.

Thursday night, the Orange County health officials ordered Children's Dental to stop using the contaminated water system for any dental procedures. Experts say dental work cannot be done without water.

Children's Dental Group must replace its water system entirely before kids can come in again for dental procedures.

RELATED LINK: Children's Dental Group Offers Statement About Recent Link To Infections

But today at the clinic, patients still came and went. Security stood at the door.

Gile asked, "What's going on inside the clinic today"? They had no comment.

Late this afternoon, two clinic employees carried stacks of patient files in their arms into a vehicle. They did not want to comment about the files.

The Dental Group has nine other locations. Gile asked if the files were being transferred to other locations so that the patients could be treated elsewhere and again they offered a no comment.

Officials are asking any clients of Medi-Cal who believe the dentists did excessive or unnecessary treatments to file a complaint with the Dental Board and with the Medi-Cal Fraud Unit.

To report Medi-Cal fraud, click here or call their hotline: (800) 722-0432. You can also access their online complaint form.

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