To think this is ignorant re HIV

[50shadesofmeh]

I heard the radio news broadcast earlier today and an alarmist story about a Dentist who was practicing with HIV and felt a bit upset by the assumption that HIV could somehow be passed easily between a dentist and patient, im annoyed at the bbc for reprting this .

m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-23754254

I'm with you on that one. It's ridiculous in my opinion and entirely unnecessary.

In theory it should be safe as log as he dentist had no open wounds and used gloves etc, but to be totally honest I think I'd be uncomfortable if I knew someone who stuck their hands in my mouth had anything like HIV, hepatitis etc, even though I know that's not an entirely rational response and I'd be safe if proper precautions were used.

Its not a newsworthy story

I thought people knew nowadays that HIV couldn't be transmitted via touch , saliva etc

Having thought more about this story then actually I don't think I'd care whether my dentist had HIV or not. I just really dislike having to go to the dentist, regardless of their health or anything else.

There are lots of myths around HIV, just like there are around lots of conditions. At least it was a BBC article, imagine what the DM would have to say about the same thing?

No hiv can't be passed via touch or saliva but it can via blood and if you are having your teeth drilled or scraped you are at higher risk of getting cuts or nicks on your gums. If a dentist has an open cut then there is a risk. Thats a lot of ifs but as long as proper hygiene is practiced ie gloves there is no risk.

About 12 years ago my dentist died from an HIV related illness, all his patients were called for testing. It seemed that was the norm in the situation, to be on a the safe side.

madratlady was right when she said myths!

Myths and people who have formed opinions having undertaken no research on the subject.

HIV can be passed through blood, though, and lots of people get bleeding gums or cuts in their mouth when they're being examined at the dentist.

Yes but the dentist doesn't bleed into them. Seriously???

The problem is with "exposure prone procedures"- procedures that involve the professional having a sharp object (like a scalpel) in an open body cavity or other confined space where their fingers may not always be directly visible- which could cause their blood to come into contact with the patient's blood- so certain dental procedures would be considered to be EPPs, some not. Until now, there has been a ban on HIV-infected doctors, dentists and other healthcare professionals carrying out EPPs, although they are ok to do other aspects of their jobs. The current discussion is on lifting the ban on EPPs, because with developments in treatment of HIV, someone complying with the right treatment may have such a tiny viral load that they wouldn't be at risk of transmitting the virus to a patient even if they did sustain a needlestick injury or cut that would cause their blood to come into contact with their patient's. I hope this helps clarify the issue.

Assuming someone with bleeding gums doesn't bite the dentist hard enough to draw blood, the risk would be minimal.

As far as I understand it though, the dentist should have informed someone, I would guess the regulatory body for dentistry, I think all HPCs have to declare certain illnesses such as HIV because, as Catypillar said, they would no be allowed to carry out certain procedures.

I understand the truth about HIV risks, I still don't think I'd feel entirely comfortable with my dentist being HIV+.

Worry doesn't have to be rational for it to be real, and it would just increase the anxiety in an already unpleasant thing for me.

I don't think we should stop people who are HIV+ from having these jobs, but I do think patients have the right to be informed of the risk, no matter how tiny it is. Doctors explain at length the very tiny risks of other procedures and treatments and we have to consent to taking those risks for a reason.

This is only a news story at the moment because this week the NHS has finally lifted restrictions on how HCPs with HIV can practise. Which is as it should be really.
www.theguardian.com/society/2013/aug/15/hiv-restrictions-health-workers-lifted

I'm glad to see the story is because the restriction has been lifted but I felt dreadfully sorry for the dentist who had his health information announced , although they deal with removing teeth etc its not like they are bleeding all over their patients .

I agree with Broken. I wouldn't want to visit a dentist who was HIV+. That might well be irrational or wrong but I wouldn't and as a paying patient, I should have every right to know about any risks (no matter how small) present to me when I go to an appointment.

If you want to go to a dentist/doctor who is HIV+, that's fine, but I shouldn't have to.

Precisely. And the prospect of losing what are essentially your human rights may put other HCPs off accessing treatment which is totally diabolical. Patients don't always tell us they have blood borne viruses and we are at far far greater risk.

My precisely was in response to 50shades

My personal opinion is that if people have irrational fears that they are aware are irrational, then they should be taking steps to deal with them. Otherwise it's just another prejudice.

Touchy subject for me though, I lost a friend to HIV related illness last year.

Probably best if I hide the thread before I get seriously wound up.

I actually don't think this is a massive overreaction tbh... When I was seeing the orthodontist, he never wore gloves. I always had cuts in my mouth from where the braces rubbed my teeth. If he was found to have HIV (at a later date, I'm sure no HCP would treat patients gloveless KNOWING they had a blood borne disease), I would have been at a high risk of unknowingly contracting it, say he'd just picked a hangnail before washing his hands and putting them in my mouth.... If this dentist also carried out procedures with no gloves.... Yeah, I'd be demanding tests.

And that IS blood-blood contact, not saliva, touch or sweat. Cos I know that doesn't transmit.

I don't think being scared of getting HIV from someone you know to be HIV+ is irrational, and I say this as someone who knows people who are HIV+ so it's not like I would never associate with someone like that.

Yes Randall I find it another kind of prejudice , dentists or doctors who are HIV will be forced to give up their jobs anyway as the alternative is announcing their HIV status to the world.

Boak at orthodontist who didn't wear gloves, I wouldn't let someone's fingers near my mouth.