Please Note: Due to volume considerations, not all questions can be answered. Questions most likely to be answered will be those of general interest to a broad group of visitors to this forum. Questions pertaining to a specific case; requests for diagnosis, medical advice, or second opinion; or requests for opinions about untested alternative therapies will generally not be answered.
|
|
 |  |
 |
 |
Touching dental equipment
Apr 5, 1999
Hi, I recently had to undergo a lot of dental treatment. I have a very big phobia when it comes to getting hiv from the healthcare setting. One concern I have with my dentist is that when he touches things like the overhead lamp and the handles to his drawers while he is working on me, I worry that he also touched them while servicing a previous patient. He said that everything is wiped down after every patient, but if by chance they were not wiped down and the person before me had hiv, what are my chances of contracting the virus? Would the virus die due to exposure to air before I recieved treatment? Also, just how long does it take for the virus to die when it is exposed to air? I can't seem to find an answer to this question. I would really appreciate a response, thank you.
|
 |
|
 |
|
Response from Dr. Reznik
Hi,
Universal precautions were put in place to prevent the transmission of HIV from a health care worker (HCW) to a patient as well as from a patient to a HCW. These have proven to be very successful measures and have greatly limited any risk of transmission of HIV between dental HCWs and patients. Other than the very well documented case in Florida, I am unaware of any other instances of transmission of HIV from a dental HCW to a patient.
Put simply, if the dental office you visit is following the standards set in the Recommended Infection Control Practices for Dentistry, 1993 (located at the following URL: http://www.hivdent.org/infctl/icrecomend.htm) you have nothing to worry about. If you are concerned about the infection control practices of your dentist, please discuss these concerns with him/her.
I hope this helps!
DR
|
|
|
 Please remember that this forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not engaged through this
forum in rendering legal or medical advice or professional services. Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible
for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither The Body nor any sponsor is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material.
Questions and messages posted to this forum are not statements of advice, opinion, or information of The Body, Body Health Resources Corporation or any sponsor of this
forum. While neither The Body nor Body Health Resources Corporation regularly reviews posted content, we reserve the right to delete, move, or
edit postings if we deem it appropriate under the circumstances. Visitors submitting questions remain solely responsible for the content of their
messages.
Information provided by experts is general only and should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease, or relied upon as
legal or other professional advice. This information is not a substitute for professional advice or care. If you have or suspect you may have a
health or legal problem, you should consult your own health care provider or your attorney.
Copyright notice.
|
|
|
|
