Marseille 2007
| Abstract #580 - Dental treatments in HIV+ patients: need and accessibility | ||||
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Session: 39.7: Treatment (Parallel) on Tuesday @ 14.00-16.00 in HC Chaired by Robin Hamilton, Raffaele Visintini Authors: Presenting Author: Dr Mario Ghezzi - Sacco, Italy |
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| Additional Authors: Dr Antonella Sparaco, Dr Girolamo Donati, Dr Vito Rana, | ||||
| Aim: To ascertain both the need of dental treatments in HIV positive patients and the importance of such treatments for their health and for the quality of their lives. To evaluate the degree of accessibility to treatments and consequent fulfilment. To consider opinions and practical applications regarding the knowledge and prejudices on seropositive through a sampling of public and private odontological studies led in the area of Milan. | ||||
| Method / Issue: 600 HIV patients and 100 dentists working in Milan area were asked to fill up a questionnaire. These questionnaires were formulated so as to ensure the needed data collection and truthfulness of answers. Prior to test supply, internal coherence was validated through pre-test technique The section regarding qualitative measurement was prepared in scale form following Likerts technique | ||||
| Results / Comments: The following indications resulted from the analysis of questionnaires: HIV positive patients regard mouth treatment as a means to improve the quality of life (95% of subjects) These patients consider dental treatment as a right for any HIV positive person. The leading guideline for facing such patients is found in PROXY: both patients and odontologists tend to move the responsibility of such treatments over specialized sanitary structures, unfortunately almost non-existent in Italy. This is the reason why these patients are hardly ever taken over for treatments and tend not to inform their dentist of their situation. It appears therefore evident that both groups are in need and should be interested in a deeper theoretical/technical training with regards to the whole team. The second guideline is PROTECTION: operators see specific vocational training as the right instrument to reduce infection risks. | ||||
| Discussion: In spite of the several existing guidelines with regards to infection risk in general (HIV, HBV and HCV), their application in clinical practice is only partial. In magazines and specialized congresses, the clinical approach to HIV positive patients is generally only incidentally treated, often just to underline contraindications to more complex treatments and delegate public sanitary structures to take charge of these patients. Seropositive patients need frequent odontological examinations in order to reduce infection causes. More than that, this need is a matter of priority since very often it is in that body zone that the first contagion manifestations take place and it is in the mouth that illness progression is made evident in the same way as an undesirable response to therapy The above said shows the overriding importance of dentists for the treatment of HIV positive patients. Owing to the refusal of many professional people to take charge of such patients, a considerable part of odontological workforce shirks the social call, thus generating inconvenience, discrimination and reticences in patients and causing irremediable overcrowdings in our few public structures, which are left by themselves and almost unassisted to face treatment for these patients. There is the absolute need of qualified instruments and behaviours that may allow us to safely treat ALL patients with no discrimination, considering them all potentially infective. Our top priority is a deeper specific information for health operators in this area and a new clinical attitude and behaviour towards HIV positive patients. | ||||
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