PERCEPTION OF RISK OF HIV-INFECTION FROM REGULAR ATTENDERS TO AN INDUSTRIAL DENTAL SERVICE

The advent of the HIV pandemic has necessitated the introduction of co nsistent cross-infection procedures for dentistry. Suprisingly little is known of patient reactions to some of these changes. A structured q uestionnaire was administered (in 1988/9, n = 613) to regular-attendin g patients of an industrial dental service to assess their views towar ds cross-infection procedures. Approximately a third of the study samp le believed that there was a slight risk or more of contracting HIV in fection at the dentist. This risk perception attenuated with further v isits to the dentist. Some patients (13%) claimed to be aware from the media of someone having been cross-infected with the HIV virus from a dental visit. The majority of patients prefer the dentist to adopt th e barrier methods of mask and glove wearing. Over 60% of patients woul d like their dentist to wear a mask when in fact a mask had not been w orn. Accuracy of recall by patients for mask wearing was only 70% and for glove wearing 88%. The possibility that drawing the patient's atte ntion to cross-infection control may be reassuring for the patient was not supported with some evidence to suggest that in instances where t he dentist provided treatment, the patient's perception of risk was in creased.