Hello
Went to the dentist three times in one week for tooth buildup and removal of nerves . during the procedure lots of blood comes out of my gum and tooth. Should I be concerned about getting HIV? I am not in the states I am in Saudi Arabia and not sure what dental disineftion methods they use? I have seen online that all the websites indicates that no one gets HIV from dentist . is it true
Thank you for your time
Hi there and thanks for using the AIDS Vancouver online helpline as your source of HIV/AIDS related information.
The incidence of HIV transmission through medical procedures, where proper protective techniques are observed, is extremely low and there are hardly any documented or reported cases of this occurring. Further, HIV transmission is dependent on 3 factors: the presence of an HIV containing bodily fluid (such as blood or sexual secretion), a risky activity (such as unprotected sex or an activity that disrupts the integrity of the skin), and direct access to the blood stream. All 3 of these factors must be present for a risk of HIV transmission to be present.
Unless the dentist’s hand was actively bleeding into your mouth while he was performing the procedure, and he HIV+, there is no possibility of HIV transmission. Also, if you are concerned about the possibility of HIV transmission from tools that may have been used on a previous patient, the HIV virus does not survive outside the body for very long (a matter of minutes), so the probability of infection via that route is remote. In addition, new and sterile tools should be used on each patient, which would eliminate entirely the risk for HIV transmission.
While I cannot comment on the sterilization/cleaning techniques used by Saudi Arabian dentists, standard precautions, including gloving, hand-washing, and the use of sterile tools, reduce or eliminate the risk of HIV transmission. Although it may be uncomfortable, we do encourage everyone to advocate for themselves when getting any sort of procedure done by asking questions concerning sterilization/cleaning techniques if it is something than is causing you concern or anxiety.
Of course, although it is extremely unlikely for HIV transmission to occur from dental procedures, the only definitive way to know your status is to get tested. HIV testing at 4 weeks post possible exposure will give you a really good indication of your status & re-testing at 12 weeks will be definitive. We do encourage everyone who is sexually active to get testing for all STIs regularly, including HIV.
I hope this helped to answer your question and please don’t hesitate to ask if you have any further questions.
Cheers,
Jonathan
AIDS Vancouver Helpline Volunteer
(Mon-Fri 9-4pm): (604) 696-4666
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