Legal issues for healthcare workers with bloodborne infectious disease

Abstract

The risk of bloodborne disease transmission in dental settings is very low. Available data support the low risk of transmission. The rate of occupational injuries among dental health care workers has decreased over the last decade and, other than the 1990 case of HIV transmission in a dental office, there have been no additional reports of bloodborne disease transmission by dental health care workers. However, public policy and judicial decisions focus less on science and more on emotion. Although many infection control organizations have updated their policies to remain current with science, the USPHS's policy remains as released in 1991. It would be prudent for these guidelines to be updated to reflect current scientific evidence and be inclusive for all bloodborne pathogens.