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notifying dentis of hiv status
Jan 6, 2002
Is it necessary to inform my dentist that I am hiv+?
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Response from Dr. Reznik
As always, this is a difficult question to answer for one reason: the potential for discrimination based on HIV status alone. Whereas access to dental care for people living with HIV/AIDS is covered in the American's with Disabilities Act of 1990, I am sad to report that there are still dentists who ignore the law. Also, it is not easy for someone who has been discriminated against to litigate via the American's with Disabilities Act, especially in smaller communities. With this said, my answer would still be yes; it is very important to inform your dentist of your HIV status. Even though I just mentioned that difficulties still exist, the majority of dentists within the United States are willing to treat people with HIV disease.
It is important for your dentist to have an accurate medical history in order to anticipate any potential complications of care or oral disease we frequently see with HIV. Your dentist should be an important part of your healthcare team as we are the only profession trained to recognize and manage oral diseases associated with systemic infections.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Regards,
DR
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