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Dental Treatment and AIDS

By: Hazel Keys


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Due to imperfect infection control techniques a dentist infected with HIV was charged for the apparent transmittal of the virus to his patients but new studies found evidence contradicting this claim. It is possible that this particular case fell victim to the verdict from a similar case that happened earlier where one dentist did transmit HIV to his patients.

DNA sequencing was the process utilized by the health department and federal centers to isolate the HIV strain found in the dentist's body. Patients were infected with strains of HIV that were not of the same kind as that of the DNA found in the dentist.

Each patient was determined to have contracted the HIV virus from other sources other than the dental clinic and even the unsanitary dental implants had no influence over the matter. Studying the case even further allowed people to develop a better viewpoint. It is not likely for patients to contract viruses from their dentists with the risk percentage set at a very low degree and so mandatory health checks are irrelevant.

Six patients were infected before the first dentist passed away and one of these patients saw to it that mandatory testing will be given to physicians to prevent more cases like this from happening. A 30 year service record is pretty amazing but what is more remarkable about the second dentist is the time he attributed for indigents who had AIDS. It only took three years for the dentist to succumb to the HIV he contracted.

He treated a number of people in his final years of medical practice and 19% decided to get tested where 24 came out as HIV carriers. There were another four who discovered that they were infected. People who have HIV usually develop behavioral risks and the study of the 28 patients delivered the results informing that 24 out of the 28 are susceptible. When DNA sequencing was applied no evidence was found linking the strains of HIV from the dentist to his patients.

Without evidence showing similarities in the strains of HIV there is no way that the dentist could have transmitted the virus he was infected with. Various HIV sources resulted to the different strains of HIV found on the dentist and his patients telling how each did not have a role in causing the other's infection. It was still crucial to verify that dental implements possibly exposed to the virus did not have the capacity to transmit HIV.

The untimely death of one patient caused waves of panic with regard to the dental profession but as AIDS experts are saying current findings may tone down people's fears. There may be additional evidences according to the director of the HIV sequence database and analysis project that will further support the information released by the center for disease control. The job of the quasi governmental organization is to study HIV strains but they are not confident that another case much like this one will not happen again considering the fact that the number of HIV cases are continually increasing. 400 million patients and a campaign for safe practices keep the American dental profession very busy and current findings can give them the push they need to go on.

Much development can be witnessed in the dental industry today with stricter infection control procedures and this case finally being resolved. The lawyer who represented the female AIDS victim warned against false security and said the study should not be used to oppose mandatory testing of health professionals because the patient has every right to know. Despite how HIV was transmitted by the dentist to his patients fault should be placed on public health services as they failed to fulfill their obligation to safeguard medical patients.

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