Dental students with Hepatitis B: issues to be considered when defining policies

Carriers of the Hepatitis B virus represent a significant proportion of the world's population. Since the existing policies on how to manage infected dental students lack clarity, the issues related to Hepatitis B and a set of recommendations for the adoption of a new policy will be presented here. After considering the virology, epidemiology, prevention, and treatment of Hepatitis B, the current health management policies will be reviewed, and ethical considerations, including the issue of disclosure, will be explored. The recommendations presented here for a new Canadian policy on infected health care workers include universal immunization, assessment of infectivity by measuring Hepatitis B DNA levels, and disclosure to patients on the basis of scientific evidence. These recommendations are intended to aid Canadian dental schools, and dental schools in other nations, with students who are carriers of Hepatitis B.