Dental public health and infection control in industrialized and developing countries

Infection control has long been a concern for dentistry but attention has been placed on it internationally by all health disciplines, prompted by the AIDS/HIV pandemic. Guidelines to eliminate cross-transmission of infectious pathogens in the dental health care setting have been established by the FDI and many national and private dental organizations. However, getting providers to comply with guidelines is a difficult task. Education, peer and social pressure, regulation and litigation are some of the factors which influence compliance. Chief dental officers can either act as a liaison among the various organized dental groups in their country or they may be the primary spokesperson for dental health. In either case, they need to champion the cause for infection control standards. They need to be flexible in establishing guidelines to fit individual circumstances, base recommendations on available resources, and be sensitive to the powerful social, political, and psychological forces behind the public and professional response to the AIDS pandemic.