AIDS and Infection Control

The ability to control the transmission of disease is a major focus of most dental offices.  The virus that causes AIDS is known as the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV.  Even though this virus is the one that so many people fear, we know that HIV is less infectious than others, such as the virus for Hepatitis B, for which infection control precautions have been taken for years.  HIV is readily destroyed by disinfection and sterilization measures that dentists regularly use to control the spread of any infection.

To protect your health, dentists adhere to what is called “universal precautions”.  That means we use the same protective measures with each and every patient to prevent transmission of the virus that causes AIDS or any other infectious disease.  We treat each situation as if the patient has a potential disease that could be transmitted. 

Some of these precautions include:

• Wearing gloves, masks and protective eyewear for all patient treatment.  They are disposed of after every patient and new protection is utilized.  In my office I go through numerous boxes of gloves and masks every week.
• Washing of hands before and after each treatment procedure.
• Sterilizing or disinfecting dental instruments after each use.
• Cleaning and disinfecting the surfaces in each treatment room and equipment after each patient use.  You will often notice that much of the equipment is covered with disposable wraps that are discarded after each patient.
• The use of single-use disposable needles and other sharp instruments that are discarded into special bio-hazardous containers.  I can’t imagine practicing years ago during the time when they sterilized and sharpened needles for multiple use (don’t you hope you were in line when they got out the new needles!).
• Proper disposal of waste items and contaminated materials.  

Some of these precautions are readily visible to you during a dental visit, yet many of the precautions are performed prior to your visit. 

Dental offices utilize various methods of sterilization and disinfection in order to kill bacteria and viruses.  Dental teams are trained in these precautions and their appropriate use.  Annual updates for each team member are required to assure that the most update methods of sterilization are being used. 

There are several acceptable methods of sterilization of instruments.  For example, instruments that can withstand high temperature may be sterilized in a steam autoclave.  The instruments are sterilized under high pressure and intense heat with steam or with dry heat in an oven-like environment.  Other instruments that cannot be heated are cleaned and sterilized in chemical solutions.  All of these methods will kill microscopic organisms that transmit disease.

Surfaces and equipment that cannot be removed and placed in autoclaves, such as counter tops, x-ray heads and lights are typically covered with disposable wraps that are used only once and then discarded of properly.  Between patients, all surfaces are cleaned utilizing a chemical agent, registered with the Environmental Protection Agency as a hospital disinfectant.  This is to assure that the treatment room is absolutely clean for each and every patient.

I hope this information assures you that you are getting the very best and safest environment that can be provided in dental offices.  Most dentists’ number one concern is your safety and health.