[Infection control in orthodontics: infective agents and modality of transmission. 1]

Adequate attention to prevention of cross-contamination in dental operatory is largely ignored by orthodontists. This occurs for two principal reasons. The first one is that orthodontic patients, usually children, are erroneously considered a low-risk population. The second one is that orthodontic procedures are usually considered nontissue invasive and not able to produce contamination of staff, patients or instruments. Nevertheless, since 1972, we know that we can find HBsAg in saliva too and moreover we cannot exclude to see blood in the mouth of our patients during orthodontic procedures. Furthermore the high volume of patients that orthodontists see every day and the possibility to treat orthodontically adult patients, take the risk of cross-contamination in orthodontic at the same level of other dental practices. The aim of the Authors is to sensitize orthodontists to the risk of cross-contamination giving the latest data of prevalence of hepatitis, tuberculosis and AIDS in adolescent population.