hepatitis and hiv infection chance& labor commitment

[baobao]

Hi, I am a female and on the half way to the dental school right now. There are some concerns regarding the dental career:

1. How risky is it for the dental occupation to be needlesticked and infected by Hepatitis and HIV?

I know one of the very successful dentists shut down his practice due to the hep c infection, which he even do not know when and where he caught it up.

2.As a female, I see three female dentist, two of them is exhausted physically and loss hairs at the around 50 ys. Is the job too physically demanding for the old woman?

From the surface, we all know the good thing about this career, but is it really fit for me? even I am been dream to be a dentist for awhile, I have to be realistic. I do not think I will be happy if I get hepatitis, kyphosis, or bald head as a women. no quality of life like that.

any input welcomed.

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[haisha ni narou]

All occupations have hazards, heck just living day to day there are risks. I just looked at the CDC website and there have been no documented cases of a dentist contracting HIV from a patient, although the reverse has happened. Risk of infection of HIV from a needlestick is somewhere around 0.3% according to the CDC, HepC somewhere around 4%.

As long as you exercise universal and standard precautions and use your personal protective barriers, the risk is pretty low.

You are at a greater risk for back problems. Do yoga, work on your posture. If you want to be a dentist, don't let these things scare you away. If your hair falls out, get a hair piece.

Good luck.

reference: http://www.cdc.gov/search.do?queryText=dentists+needlestick&action=search

 

[Dental Mom]

Hi, I am a female and on the half way to the dental school right now. There are some concerns regarding the dental career:

1. How risky is it for the dental occupation to be needlesticked and infected by Hepatitis and HIV?

I know one of the very successful dentists shut down his practice due to the hep c infection, which he even do not know when and where he caught it up.

2.As a female, I see three female dentist, two of them is exhausted physically and loss hairs at the around 50 ys. Is the job too physically demanding for the old woman?

From the surface, we all know the good thing about this career, but is it really fit for me? even I am been dream to be a dentist for awhile, I have to be realistic. I do not think I will be happy if I get hepatitis, kyphosis, or bald head as a women. no quality of life like that.

any input welcomed.

Hey, I have many dentists friends who work 4 days a week and enjoy life the other 3. Being a successful dentist means you are also a successful business person! I don't know all the details of these women working and going bold, but even my uncle at 42 with 3 clinics he just plays golf now.....he's an amazing business man. My other uncle in California? He's every weekend at his beach house and owns 2 clinics.

I'm not saying that they have it easy 100% of the time. Having your own biz is hard work, but you should not go bold! If you hire the right staff, give them bonus, and manage the place well--life should become easier.

Just my $0.2

 

[Saddleshoes]

Just for the record on the infectious disease issue........

I worked 26 years with a population that was 5% HIV positive, 22% Hep. B positive, over 30 % Hep C positive and a smattering of multidrug resistant TB cases. We always used standard precautions. And yes, I had some blood exposures (never a hollow bore exposure). For a 6 year period I was having a blood test every 3 months, because I would just get off the protocol and have another exposure. To date I am clean and I have the lab teats to prove it. (A fact I like to bring up with my wife)

The point of all this is the HIV, HPB, HPC, TB infection thing is scary but can be overcome with good work habits. Also if you are truly doing your job to help others I think God honors that commetment with his protection.