If a dentist gets tuberculosis....

[jay47]

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Can they still practice? Being as this disease never really "goes away", is this pretty much a knockout for a dentist? Is this covered under "disability insurance"?

 

[K Niner]

They take the antibiotics for 9 months and its no prob. The bacteria may stay in their system as a latent infection, but they have to have an active lung infection (I forget what the deal is called) to spread TB. So I don't think this would affect them much, especially if it was determined from a skin test prior to an active infection.

 

[tinman831]

If you have an active infection then you shouldn't be practicing dentistry at that time, until you get better. Once the infection clears out, you're good to go.

 

[BombayBDS]

One of my collegues here in India developed TB during her final year at school and she wasnt allowed to treat patients till she got better (2 months).
But once the active infection subsided, she was allowed back on patients.
She had to undergo sputum cultures at regular intervals till the report came negative for 2 consecutive tests.