End HIV Dentists Ban
posted: 26/10/2010
A call has gone out to end the Department of Health ban on people with HIV from treating dental patients. The ban continues despite the evidence that there is no risk of transmission.
A spokesperson for Dental Protection, who are indemnity providers, says: ‘It is 20 years since the draconian rules were introduced preventing dentists (and other healthcare professionals) from providing treatment to patients.
‘Initially introduced as a precautionary measure soon after the mysterious case of Dr Acer, a dentist in the USA who was thought to have infected six patients, there has never been any other recorded transmission of the disease in a dental setting.'
Out of date ban forces out of work
Meanwhile many UK dentists – along with dental hygienists and therapists – have lost their livelihood because they have been forced to stop working in their chosen profession.
Dental Protection continues: ‘On being given their own diagnosis they were told to “clear their desk” with immediate effect.'
Europe, Australia, USA – Dentists with HIV: no problem
HIV treatments now effectively control HIV, so that the levels of HIV in the blood are too low even to measure. This, with the high standard of infection control that is demanded of dentists, means that this outdated ban on dentistry for people with HIV has disappeared in much of Europe, Australia and the USA.
International declaration from Beijing
The Beijing Declaration from the 6th World Workshop on Oral Health and Disease in AIDS in April 2009 highlighted the outdated stance currently adopted by the Department of Health.
Department of Health discrimination?
The Department of Health in England’s failure to update its ban and guidance despite the consensus of evidence-based opinion means the Department risks complaints of discrimination.
Standing up for dentists with HIV
In calling for greater fairness and a more consistent application of the evidence, Kevin Lewis, director of Dental Protection, says: ‘Dental Protection has championed the cause of HIV-infected dental health professionals for more than a decade in several parts of the world and will continue to take action against this kind of unfair and discriminatory treatment of its members.
‘The international evidence base is overwhelming and the Beijing Declaration unequivocal in confirming that HIV infected dentists can continue to practise safely with no risk to patients, subject only to some very clear and manageable criteria being met.
‘In every other area of professional activity, dental health professionals are directed to follow the evidence base, but HIV has for too long remained a singular exception – during which time careers have been destroyed, lives have been devastated and patients have been deprived access to safe dentists.'
He continues: ‘The time has come to acknowledge the evidence and stop running scared of ill-informed public perception and media scaremongering. It seems to be forgotten that infected dental health professionals are also patients themselves and they should they be treated no less fairly than other patients. The sound of foot-dragging has been deafening and some immediate action needs to be taken to bring the UK guidance out of the previous century.'
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