Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1991. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Miami Herald (MH) - Wednesday, June 19, 1991
Andres Viglucci; Herald Staff Writer
The new program is intended to broaden the range of medical services at the Dade County public health agency's AIDS clinic at 615 Collins Ave.
It's also designed to solve what health officials say is a common problem for HIV-positive people: Many dentists refuse to treat them.
"We thought we had to do something," said Dr. Georges Metellus, an administrator in the county's AIDS program.
Although some dentists remain fearful of the disease, most know that normal precautions make it virtually impossible for the HIV virus to spread through dental procedures, said Dr. Cesar Mena, head of the county's dental clinics. But some dentists won't treat people with HIV infection or AIDS because they worry that other patients will be scared off.
"Education has not reached all levels in the community," said Dr. Armando Corbelo, supervisor of the new dental clinic. "It's a very safe procedure."
The problem is not unique to Dade. The National Commission on AIDS, a federal advisory group, said in a recent report that the number of dentists willing to see HIV-infected people is "grossly inadequate and unacceptable."
The situation is beginning to improve, however, as "more and more" dentists accept HIV-infected patients, Corbelo said.
Dental care is critical for people with HIV infection and AIDS, Corbelo said, because basic hygiene can prevent or ameliorate gum and mouth infections to which they are especially prone.
"If we can get the patients early on, we can try to prevent as many as these problems as we can," Corbelo said.
The new clinic will be supported by emergency federal money for AIDS. Patients will pay for care on a sliding scale based on their income.
The clinic has one dentist and two dental assistants, who will initially work 2 1/2 days a week. Administrators hope to expand to five days soon.
Next month, the county health agency, which is run by the state Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, plans to open a similar dental clinic in South Miami.
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