Public Health And Dental Patient Protection

When an HIV infected dentist failed to employ sufficient precautionary measures some patients diagnosed to have HIV put the blame on him but federal and Florida based researchers now find this to be impossible. There are so many differences that set this case apart from a similar case that happened earlier involving another HIV positive dentist who indeed caused his patients to contract the virus.

It was important to see if the dentist carried the same HIV strain in question and so the health department and federal centers used DNA sequencing in their research. Testing provided information containing evidence regarding differences in the HIV strains from the dentist and patients.

Because of the DNA sequencing they were also able to determine that the patients did not get the virus from one another and with regard to the dental implements they also had no part in the infections. 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.

Before she died one of the six patients that contracted HIV from the first dentist saw to it that mandatory health assessment exams will be implemented for physicians. Part of his 30 year medical experience was used for the benefit of AIDS stricken indigents as the second dentist worked with these people. HIV became the end of the dentist who died three years after contracting the virus.

24 out of the 19% of patients he treated during his last five years of service tested positive for the HIV virus after getting tested. HIV was also able to reach four more of his earlier patients. 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. Through DNA sequencing more evidence that disputes the claim that the strain of HIV from the dentist infected the patients who tested positive for the virus were found.

For the dentist to be guilty of spreading the disease to his patients test results should have shown only one single HIV strain. 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. There was another theory pertaining to dental implements being exposed to blood and tissue causing the infections to happen.

Coming from those who know AIDS well the new research may help suppress the fears people developed for dental services stemming from a patient’s death. According to the director of the HIV sequence database and analysis project, there might be a sort of momentary message that reinforces the good news that’s been coming out of the center for disease control. His quasi governmental organization tracks different strains of HIV.He says that on the other hand, it doesn’t mean that by the turn of the century, when the number of cases has doubled, that we won’t see another case like this case. For the American dental profession which handles more than 400 million patient visits each year and has conducted a safe practices campaign of late, the study comes as good news.

The resolution of this case marks the numerous changes expected for the dental field in the coming years starting with drastic measures being taken for infection control. According to one of the prosecution lawyers any patient should not be put in a precarious situation following potential health risks from physicians and so he strongly advises against removing mandatory health checks. One of the responsibilities of public health services is to ensure a safe environment for every patient getting treatment and they fell short when the dentist transmitted HIV to other patients.

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