Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1984. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
The New York Times - January 13, 1984
Ronald Sullivan
The guidelines advised dentists to wear protective gowns, masks, rubber gloves and eye goggles when treating a patient with acquired immune deficiency syndrome. They also said that all elective dental treatment such as bridges and caps should be avoided.
The guidelines said dental patients who were in AIDS risk groups but who showed no signs of the disorder should be treated like any other dental patient. The American Dental Association issued similar guidelines last year.
State health officials said the guidelines were issued in response to reports that increasing numbers of New York dentists were refusing to treat victims of AIDS or even patients who belonged to risk groups identified with the disorder, such as homosexuals.
Dr. Jack Rosenberg, the head of the Manhattan Dental Guild, a group of about 100 dentists who are homosexual, said that "we have a lot of dentists in New York who won't even treat gay patients."
Although health officials said there was no known case of a dentist contracting AIDS from a patient, they did say that, based on comparisons with the risk of infection associated with Hepatitis B, dentists might be at higher risk of contracting AIDS than physicians or other health professionals.
This, they said, is because dentists have direct contact with the saliva of a patient's mouth. Nevertheless, the draft of the guidelines said that "there is no scientific reason for health professionals to be excused from delivering care to patients with AIDS."
The draft, which was issued at a conference on AIDS conducted by the Health Department's Bureau of Dental Health and its AIDS Institute at 8 East 40th Street, said that while the cause of AIDS was unknown, studies have suggested that it was caused by a virus.
Dr. John Hanrahan, an AIDS specialist assigned to New York by the Federal Centers for Disease Control, said that both AIDS and Hepatitis B might be transmitted through blood or bodily fluids or excretions and that the risk for dentists "theoretically was greater."
Higher Risk for Dentists
Dr. Theodore Rebich, director of the Bureau of Dental Health, said recent studies showed that the incidence of Hepatitis B among dentists was nearly three times higher than for the general population, thus suggesting a commensurately higher AIDS risk, too.
Dr. Rosenberg said that his group polled about 350 dentists in Manhattan and that "100 percent" said they would not treat a patient with AIDS.
According to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, 3,000 cases of AIDS have been reported since the disorder, which destroys the body's immunological system, was first identified in 1981. Thus far, 1,283 victims have died.
Of the total, 42 percent of the cases have been reported in New York City. Homosexuals are said to represent 71 percent of the cases and intravenous drug users 17 percent.
840113
NYT840106
Copyright © 1984 - The New York Times Company. All Rights Reserved. All New York Times articles contained on the AEGiS web site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of The New York Times Company. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. However, you may download articles (one machine readable copy and one print copy per page) for your personal, noncommercial use only.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1984. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 1984. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .