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Am I the only one terrified by recent dental news?

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griffinej5

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 15, 2011
Messages
192
So, a few recent news article have me terrified. I'm posting from my phone, so I don't know about linking stuff. Anyway, stop reading now if you don't want to be scared.
The first one was recently about a dentist not properly sterilizing stuff, so the patients are at risk for HIV and hepatitis c. Today I saw an article about a man dying when he was getting his wisdom teeth out. I don't want HIV, and I am going to a cheaper dentist. It might be more likely that there are patients with it, since it's in the city and has more low income patients then there would be if I went near me. I want to trust it because it's the dental school at a good university, but I can't help thinking I'd be safer in the suburbs, but I can't afford it. I don't need any surgery where they will put me to sleep at least.
 
There were also stories about patients getting HIV from blood transfusions a few years back and every now and then these stories crop up. These stories do give us a start, and tragic things happen sometimes. If you worry about things too much you wouldn't leave the house because the odds of getting run over are far greater than dying in the dentist chair I would think.

I wouldn't think that a dental hospital would use dirty instruments, they are teaching and if that was the case then you would be reading about a large number of people suffering all sorts of infections.
 
Agreed with what Carole has said. Fortunately my dentist makes sterile field a TOP priority and she is OCD about germs so I have no worries, personally.
 
I had two blood transfusions after the birth of my oldest son six years ago and was terrified about infected blood being put in me. Thankfully the doc was awesome and described everything to me.

I just saw a dentist at a dental school about 45 min from my house and was scared to death about those stories but once I entered, I saw that there wasn't anything to worry about bc it was insanely clean, sometimes more so than some doc's offices I've been to.

When we fear something our mind takes the most insane, irrational scenario it can think of and implants it in our brain. Worry not my friend. Im sure you are in good hands.

You can also ask them to change the tips and such on the instruments in front of you. They did that with me without my asking so I felt better knowing it was sterile and I witnessed it. Might help put you at ease a little more so.
 
Why not ask to be shown how instruments are handled in the office?
The real risk is when someone reuses a needle or anesthetic carpule. This is never acceptable to be reused on another patient.
I have an outside company monitor my sterilizers each and every week by processing samples and mailing them off to verify that my units are operating correctly.
 
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