[Professional dental responsibility in HIV virus contagion]

The Authors consider the forensic implications regarding the transmission of HIV to the orthodontic patient. First of all, the lesions of the oral cavity that require immediate diagnosis with foremost importance given to hygiene and prevention are examined. Secondly, the subject is considered of professional liability for virus transmission due to the physicians malpractice, particularly focussing on the possible fault, type of damage and cause-effect relationship. Sanctions are considered in detail regarding virus seropositivity and occurrence of symptomatology in the different phases of the disease, thus leading to a brief outline of possible refunding guidelines. Particular emphasis is placed on the evaluation of the causal relationship, underlying the difficulty related to establishing a clear cut cause-effect relationship.