AIDS and dentistry in Australia: knowledge, infection control practices and attitudes to treatment in a random sample of Australian dentists. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1991. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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AIDS and dentistry in Australia: knowledge, infection control practices and attitudes to treatment in a random sample of Australian dentists.

Community Health Stud. 1990;14(4):384-93. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/91160243
Bray F; Chapman S; Department of Community Medicine, University of Sydney, Westmead; Hospital, NSW.

Abstract: 1130 dentists surveyed by mail from Australian capital cities (response rate 80%) answered a questionnaire on knowledge of clinical manifestations of AIDS and HIV, attitudes to treatment and referral of AIDS/HIV patients, infection control practices and personal risk factors for HIV. Despite a third of dentists being willing to treat HIV antibody-positive patients and 22% being willing to treat AIDS patients, over 50% believe AIDS to be a major problem for dentists, with two thirds claiming that their staff would not treat AIDS patients and 55% believing they would lose patients if word spread that they were treating HIV/AIDS patients. The perhaps irreconcilable tension between variable willingness to treat and the concerns of staff and other patients suggests that a policy of improving the dental referral network among people with AIDS may be in the best interests of the dental health and well-being of people with AIDS.
Keywords: *Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/PREVENTION & CONTROL Australia Communicable Disease Control/METHODS *Dentistry Human *Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Refusal to Treat Support, Non-U.S. Gov't JOURNAL ARTICLEKWDacquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome/prevention&controlaustraliacommunicablediseasecontrol/methodsKWDdentistryhumanKWDknowledge,attitudes,practicerefusaltotreatsupport,non-uKWDsKWDgov'tjournalarticle
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M9160612

Copyright © 1991 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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