When you visit the dentist, how can u be sure that the tools the dentist uses on u are sterilized and clean. I mean maybe the dentist uses the same tools on an earlier patient and then forget to replace the tools or sterilize them and then uses them again on the next patient.
I am asking because I visited a dentist lately and I am afraid he might have passed hiv to me.
He was a very good and clean dentist but I am still afraid
2006-11-25 23:48:41 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Infectious Diseases
Calm down. First of all, do you have HIV? Does the dentist have HIV? Are you just freaking out because you are nervous of all the types of things that COULD happen?
If you are afraid, you need to sit down and talk it over with your dentist about the sterilization techniques they use on their equipment to help you see what they do. They do not use the the same equipment dirty on one patient and turn around and use on the next patient without cleaning. They sterilize things they can and they have disposable items too. They also sterilize each station.
If you do not have HIV don't assume you do. If you are fearful of having diseases, you need to see your doctor and seek counseling for your fears. I have a friend who is afraid of getting all sorts of diseases too. It is abnormal to have that great of fear so that you are thinking that you have it even when you do not know. Go for testing to see to help calm your fears that you do not have it.
Go to this website and read up on how it is transmitted to help further educate you: http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/transmission.htm
2006-11-25 23:59:04 · answer #1 · answered by Stephanie F 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I Understand your Being Concerned, but Think your Fears Are Statistically Unfounded, it Doesn't Help, When you See a Incompetent Doctor On the News Using Non-Sterile Technique and/or Reusing Needles/Instruments Without Proper Sterilization, it May ease your Mind a Little bit to Realize What you Are Seeing, is a Extreme Situation, I Suppose it Comes Down to How Much Do you Trust your Doctor? It Also Doesn't Help When Someone that is Licensed By the State, isn't Necessarily Competent.
2006-11-26 09:10:07 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Dentist is interested in continued professional practice and will not cut corner the way u imagine him/her to do. The portion of the instruments which go in ur mouth are several in number and are thrown in the sterlisation box after use on each patient.
2006-11-26 07:53:38 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Next time ask to see the package they tools came in. It is wraped or in a peel pack with a tag that states if it was sterilized. This is what they all do if they do not ask what do they use.
2006-11-26 10:01:50 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe you are being paranoid? HIV doesn't live outside the human body so I don't think that could have happened.
2006-11-26 07:56:15 · answer #5 · answered by Amy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If they sterilized the equipment in an autoclave, then you should be fine. Autoclaves are there for that purpose.
2006-11-29 21:45:22 · answer #6 · answered by cindy1323 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you should get tested
2006-11-26 07:51:36 · answer #7 · answered by onethousandmilesfromnowhere 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋