Oral Health Professionals and Infectious Disease Status
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) characterizes an exposure-prone procedure as any that poses a risk of percutaneous injury to providers due to limited visibility or confinement within an anatomical site. Not counting the recent appearance of COVID-19, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pose the greatest potential for disease transmission in healthcare settings. Disclosure of a provider’s infectious disease status to patients is highly controversial. This article reviews infectious disease transmission in dentistry, and explains CDC recommendations and state regulations regarding infectious disease disclosure by HBV-positive or HIV-positive providers.
HBV can present as an acute infection, lasting for a few weeks, or can become a chronic, lifelong illness.
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In order to prevent transmission of bloodborne pathogens (BBPs), clinicians are advised to follow CDC standard precautions, which include vaccination, infection control protocols, use of safety device (eg, puncture-resistant sharps containers and needle-retracting devices), and implementing safe work practices.
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HCV is not transmitted through contact with infected blood, negating needle sharing as a possible risk factor.
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The risk of HIV transmission is approximately one in how many following a single percutaneous exposure?
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Historically, there have been multiple incidents of disease transmission from dental providers to patients in the United States.
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In which time period did the only documented incidences of provider-to-patient transmission of HIV in dental settings?
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The CDC recommends practice restrictions for providers who have HCV or who do not perform exposure-prone procedures.
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At a minimum, HBV-positive or HIV-positive providers have an ethical and professional obligation to disclose their disease status to an expert review panel and, for providers in Texas, obtain written consent from patients.
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