[Hepatitis B: what you always wanted to know]

More than two million individuals die each year as a result of infection from the hepatitis B virus, either directly from fulgurant hepatitis, or in the majority of cases, from the long term after-effects. The high risk groups, the reasons for cross contamination, the various ways of transmitting the disease, the rate which individuals are being vaccinated against hepatitis B, the vaccines and the recommendations for controlling transmission are some of the subjects related to in the article. The dentist and the dental team must function with a viable asepsis protocol.