Addressing the fears of HIV transmission in dental practice

Recent surveys indicate that dental personnel are prepared to provide care for HIV+/AIDS patients, but do so with some reluctance. Their specific concerns have been identified and an attempt has been made to allay these fears by examining them from scientific, clinical, epidemiologic and historical perspectives. These somewhat pragmatic criteria suggest that HIV transmission in dental practice is extremely unlikely-if not impossible. However, the explanations offered to arrive at these conclusions may fail to resolve the suspicions that some dentists and their auxiliaries harbor toward individuals demonstrating lifestyles foreign to their own. If this is so, the advice of counsellors, social scientists and behavioral modification experts must be sought if dental personnel wish to provide care to HIV+/AIDS patients in an atmosphere of mutual trust, confidence and respect.