- To CIDSNetwork@yahoogroups.com
From Name withheld
Subject Hepatitis C Linked to Dentists
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- Being a dentist myself, I am very well aware of the
spread
of bloodborne pathogens in dentistry.
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- Since dentistry was 'deregulated' in the late '70s and
taken over by managed care companies - dentists have little control over
clinic functions such as sterilization protocol.
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- There is so much pressure to PRODUCE, that corners are
cut by the management companies at the expense of the dentist and
patient.
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- Healthcare 'consumers' today want free or low cost health
care -well this is exactly what they are getting, plus bonuses like Hep
C and CJD (mad cow disease).
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- XX XXX, DDS ___
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- (original story)
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- Hepatitis C Linked To dentists
- By Kate Foster
Health Correspondent
The Scotsman
7-24-01
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- THOUSANDS of hepatitis C sufferers may have contracted
the life- threatening virus during dental treatment, health campaigners
warned yesterday. (Note - this is only in SCOTLAND and doesn't take into
account the US, etc. - ed)
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- It is feared current methods of sterilising dental
equipment
may not be effective in removing the risk of transmission of the virus,
which is 100 times more infectious than HIV.
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- Jeff Frew, the secretary of Capital C, a support group
for hepatitis C sufferers, told The Scotsman that of the 38 per cent of
people whose source of infection is unknown, a "substantial
number"
could have been infected at the dentist.
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- He said: "Many people with the virus do not fall
into the risk categories and do not know how they became infected.
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- "Dental treatment is the only time when large
numbers
of the public come into contact with blood. We believe that, although
dentists
sterilise their tool heads, they are too busy and do not have enough
resources
to sterilise their tools themselves, and machinery that drives the tools.
Hep C is extremely infectious and blood could get into the tool mechanisms
and be passed between patients."
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- Although 10,000 Scots are known to be infected, it is
believed a further 25,000 do not know they have the virus, as it can take
20 years for sufferers to fall ill.
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- Nigel Hughes, the chief executive of the British Liver
Trust, warned the risk of infection from dental surgeries "could not
be ignored".
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- He said: "It would be possible to catch hepatitis
C in this way if the equipment is not rigorously cleaned and
sterilised.
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- "There's always a distinct possibility, especially
if the dental practice session is very busy"
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- ___
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- You are invited to visit my website "Emerging
Diseases"
http://goddess-of-fire.tri
pod.com/index-1.html
And message board http://disc.server.com/Indices/
93896.html
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- Patricia Doyle, PhD
Investigator of Emerging Diseases
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- MainPage
http://www.rense.com
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