The impact of AIDS on the general practitioner of dentistry

The AIDS epidemic has caused widespread concern in the community and there has been a corresponding impact on dentistry. Dentists have seen themselves as vulnerable due to frequent exposure to blood and to the salivary pool, which may possibly be infective, either inherently or by reason of blood contamination. The fear of AIDS, affecting the community and the dental profession, has been strongly emotional because of the recorded mortality rates. It is necessary to recognize that screening techniques, however carefully carried out and interpreted, cannot identify all the potential carriers of AIDS. A similar, but much greater risk applies to carriers of hepatitis B virus, since a dentist seeing 20 patients per day will encounter a hepatitis B carrier every 7 days, at the current developed-country levels of prevalence. Four out of five of these carriers will be unaware of their infectious status. It is essential therefore that dentists amend their infection control techniques and regard all contact with blood as potentially infective. The fears of dentists can be assuaged by the realization that well-accepted infection control methods applicable to hepatitis B, are also effective against AIDS. The paper reviews the major considerations to be taken into account in implementing an infection control regimen, and in identifying at-risk groups among patients.