Health/Infection risks at the Dentist...

When visiting the dentist, do you ever consider the possibility of infection and contracting something during your treatment? I'm thinking Hepatitis ,HIV or similar blood borne diseases.

Do you select the dentist you visit based on socio economic factors?

i.e dentist in more well off area will have more private patients,better equipment,a patient pool that is likely to be a lower infection risk?

Reply 1

cresta

It is a must to know about the dentist, before going for a treatment, else it may lead us to various health disorders.

Reply 2

balalika

i'm also very paranoid about things like that, but it is worth to know that a lot of the viruses do not survive long outside the body. as long as the dental equipment have gone through basic cleaning (in detergent + autoclaving), nothing will be able to survive that. you can check with them on the phone if their utensils have been sterilised, its a valid question.

Reply 3

Limpopo

I am quite certain that there are indeed procedures which dental practices are required to undertake by the relevant authorities but then no one is there to make sure they do them.

I expect that risk also increases with patient profile.

For instance i would consider a dental visit a higher risk in an inner city dentists in London than in a rural dentists in Scotland.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/diseases/bbv.pdf

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/nearly-onethird-of-dentists-fail-to-meet-hygiene-standards-2151713.html

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 4