As the numbers of people with HIV infection and AIDS increase, so will the contribution required from the dental practitioners. A postal questionnaire survey was therefore conducted among dental practitioners in South Africa to determine their knowledge and attitudes towards HIV infection and the issues it raises for them. Although a majority of dentists were aware of the facts related to AIDS, and the spread and oral manifestations of HIV infection, there were considerable gaps in their knowledge with regard to the dental management of infected patients. Only 45 per cent were prepared to be engaged in the continued care of HIV-infected patients while contradicting opinions were expressed on the risk of HIV transmission in dentistry and attitudes towards HIV seropositive patients and staff. Further educational efforts on HIV infection and its implications in dentistry should be directed towards dentists in South Africa.
PIP: As the number of people with HIV infection increases, dental practitioners will be required to enhance their knowledge of the disease and its oral manifestations. In this study, a questionnaire was mailed to 1000 dentists randomly selected from the Dentists' Register of South Africa. After 2 mailings, a total of 408 responses were returned. HIV transmission in the dental clinic was rated as very likely by 30%, likely by 41%, unlikely by 12%, and extremely unlikely by 9%. Oral candidiasis, Kaposi's sarcoma, and herpes infection were correctly identified by the majority of respondents as the most common oral manifestations of AIDS. 71% of dentists felt they had acquired adequate knowledge of HIV/AIDS, primarily from journals. 95% routinely wore gloves, masks, and eye protection. 57% had a policy for the treatment of HIV-positive patients and 19% had actually treated such patients. 91% believed that all HIV-positive patients should be notified to a government body and 76% thought such patients should carry an identity card noting their HIV status. Only 45% were willing to be engaged in the continued care of AIDS patients and 83% believed a small group of dentists with specialized training should be responsible for the care of these patients. 69% reported their patients had expressed concerns about contracting AIDS through dental procedures and asked questions about sterilization practices. Finally, 63% believed that HIV seropositivity was not sufficient grounds for dismissal of dentists from practice.