Dental care of HIV-infected patients: attitudes and behavior among Danish dentists.
The aims of the study were to study Danish dentists' attitudes and behavior with regard to providing dental care to HIV-infected persons and to look for explanatory variables for the dentists' attitudes and behavior. Two hundred and twenty-eight Danish dentists responded to a questionnaire on dental treatment of HIV-infected patients and related problems (response rate: 91.2%). The dentists' attitudes differed a great deal from the current national policy as to where HIV-infected patients should be treated and with regard to the possibility of being tested for HIV anonymously. 64% of the dentists favored the idea of referral of HIV-infected patients to special dental clinics for routine dental treatment, and 93% disapproved of the idea that infected individuals themselves should decide whether they wish to inform their dentist or doctor of seropositivity. Older dentists were more reluctant to treat HIV-infected individuals than younger. Other differences with regard to a number of demographic variables were not found. No difference in attitude towards HIV-infected persons was found when compared to that towards HBV-infected individuals. The reluctance towards treatment of HIV-infected persons was present irrespective of any subsidy for an extra cost for treatment of HIV-infected patients.
Scheutz
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Department of Child Dental Health and Community Dentistry, Royal Dental College, Aarhus, Denmark.
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003718:Denmark; D003730:Dental Care for Persons with Disabilities / Q000191:economics; D003815:Dentists; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D006509:Hepatitis B; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged