Hep C and the dentist

Hello guys
I was wondering how you guys deal with going to the dentist. I haven't gone anymore since I was diagnosed last year and now I feel I need to go back. I remembered she asked me once If I ever suffered from hep or other bloodborne diseases. I said Hell NO!!!! :-((shoot I didn't know back then the sad truth)Iwas asymptomatic..
And now what do I do? do I tell her about it? Can she refuse to do dental work on me?. The thing is that she's the only one I have seen so far that's good dental worker around.Shitty dentists over here...

saludos
scuba

[NYgirl]

I just told the truth straight out "please note on my chart that I have been diagnosed with HCV" and they never said another word.

If you aren't in treatment yet make sure you do densitry beforehand because the interferon really will mess with your teeth.

Dentists ARE doctors and they don't think of the stigma like the general public, they know it's possible for anyone to have this disease.

[FlGuy]

It's difficult to guess what is typical in Spain.  Prior discussions on this topic led me to observe that if patients reveal hcv to dentists then dentists generally don't turn them away from dental treatment.  It's probably a good idea to manage all aspects of your health, including dental, when you are on tx, or at least heading into tx.  And then there is the dilemma - to tell, or not to tell.   Good luck and...open wide.

[amommy]

I think it was goof who had a great idea regarding this.  He called his dentist ahead of time and had it put into his chart.  This took away that awkward interaction if you were to tell the dentist face to face.  

As far as dentists and doctors not feeding into the stigma like other people, I respectfully disagree :)  Plenty of people on this forum have been treated poorly by health care providers of all kinds because they are ignorant about this disease.  It is so sad, but it is the harsh reality of this damn disease.

[sparkie#2]

i would tell dentist
i just had a tooth pulled this week i even took a copy of cbc to dentist
he was glad i did said he wished more people would do that
i think its best to tell dentist
thats just my thoughts on the matter
but i'm glad i told him the truth
Dee

[scubadiver30]

Thanks a lot for your input.
I will call her and tell straight out. I guess they should have some protocol on how to handle this, but I agree: Many doctors here are ignorant and can be rude to HCV + patients (they think we're all junkies who deserved it)never heard of nosocomial infections?

NYG what do you mean it can be tough on the teeth? more cavities? gum bleedings? what should I expect on this.
I use a waterpick and electric brush but shoot, another point to my pros-cons list :-(

Any other gadget that you may use for dental higyene while on tx?
gracias a todos
scubariba

[jmjm530]

I told my dentist so he could watch my teeth/gums closer while I was on treatmen.

However, from what I've read about how some are treated after they disclose, to do it all over again I probably wouldn't have mentioned it. Dentists, like all doctors, are supposed to use the same precautions whether you have HCV, AIDS or a common cold. Keep in mind that most people who have HCV don't even know it therefore cannot disclose.

Related, I had my teeth cleaned every 12-weeks on treatment as opposed to every 24 weeks just to make sure problems didn't develop. They didn't.

Lastly, I have noticed what appears to be a predjuice against those with HCV when I see other specialists. Certainly not with all but I sense it in some. Not sure if I will continue to disclose after SVR to anyone unless absolutely necessary for my health care.

-- Jim

[sunspot]

I told my dentist straight up. I also told her when I became UND. I will see her next month and tell her I'm SVR.
If any health care provider ever treated me badly because of HCV, I'd give them the one finger salute and report them.

[merlino]

I recently had an ultrasound done and when I told the tech I had Hep C she went from very friendly to very quiet. She wasn't rude but she made me feel horrible! I felt like she didn't want to touch me. That stayed with me for quite a few days.

[amommy]

About the impact of tx on the teeth...this is my personal experience
Prior to tx, I had VERY good teeth with only maybe 3 surface cavities.  By the time I was 8 weeks into treatment I had 4 MAJOR cavities to the point where I thought I would need a root canal and still may.  Since I have finished tx, I have not had any further problems.  My guess is, those teeth that rotted down to nothing in a matter of weeks would have been problem spots at some point in the future and the interferon just really expedited the process.  I don't know for sure though.  That is just my experience and speculation :)

[Moniker]

I've always been honest with the dentist about having hep c. I've gone to several dentists and there's never has been any problem. I've never even felt any stigma or reaction from a dentist or technician. I live in Connecticut.

I don't know how things are in Spain - if there is more of a stigma or less of a stigma in Europe.

Bob

[NYgirl]

Yup amommy is right this stuff can cause serious dental problems fast.

I had sort of bad teeth to start (always getting cavities no matter how often I brush and floss, all of my life) but this medication has just eaten them away and I now need FIVE root canals.  Probably they were cavities before but it's like my teeth just rotted away from the inside out.

I had heard prior to starting treatment that this could happen but had no idea it would be so bad.

[cuteus]

"(they think we're all junkies who deserved it)"  but we know that even junkies do not deserve this disease, verdad? and neither providers nor the general public should think that and act accordingly. Having been infected by nosochomial transmission does not make one pt more worthy of sympathy, than infection via IV use. Many of the hep c infected here have done drugs, and many have also had procedures that exposed them to the disease and infected blood products, so they could have gotten it from either source. I know you did not mean it in the way it could be read, I'm just alerting you to the possibility of misinterpretation.
The provider making you uncomfortable could get hep c down the road, or be infected already. Wouldn't that be ironic?

my dentist was aware of the disease, and wore goggles and proper universal precautions were taken. Even the hygienist should wear goggles, due to airborne bloody water droplets.

My teeth deteriorated fast during my hep c days, continued during tx and is slightly better post tx, probably because all the bad things already happened in the yrs before dx. I could not believe how fast the cavities were coming, before I found out about HCV. I  have a gut feeling that they are related to HCV. Of course Tx did not help make it better. Lost cause, my teeth.

[Mister beagle bailey]

Hi there, glad to see you post, the main thing is your SVR and to h*ll with the dentist and anyone else who are ignorant to this virus.  The world has a lot to learn about HCV and how people get it.

Beagle

[scubadiver30]

To be honest, this is a pretty hipocritical society. (Spain, Europe in general)
Raphael got HEPB and got a transplant....So what? I feel bad for the guy or for anyone that had to endure such ordeal but we shouldn't hush it while pointing the finger to everyone else durg users, hemophiliacs, victims (heppers of the world... unite ;-)
Is like the whole issue about the lady Di photo in the crash... British tabloids accusing Spanish tabloids of being yellow...everyone is entitled to privacy, but if they expose everyone (why not royalty??)
Is disgusting....Europe critizises Israel for the Lebanon thing, but they do nothing to stop it. Serbs were anihilating bosnians and only Clinton had to step in...Thank to the Americans many muslims were saved..Ironies of the world...
Once I reach SVR I will start a campaign about bioethics and double morality

[scubadiver30]

My dear friends.
My apologies to all of you if I have insulted anyone with my stupid remarks. My english is pretty sloppy and I'm no saint myself.
I did a lot of coke in my youth in many forms so I shouldn't be talking...The pot calling the kettle black...:-(
What I tried to say is that doctors (everywhere)act as if they're above everyone else & some moral icons sorta speak, and that's funny to hear because one single doctor here in Spain infected more 200 people with HEPc cause he used to shoot up prior to operating patients witht the same syringe for anesthtics...The infamous Dr Maeso....They tracked him down because they all had his strain.. I'm sure that there are a lot of noscomial infections in hospitals around the world
Sorry again NYG , and JIM and Cuteus and everyone...
I just wanted to express what I felt when I dealt with the obnoxius physiscian in the social security....
We all deserve SVR... this HEPC thing is a really humbling experience
Mis m

[Kalio1]

I agree 100%. How anyone contracted this disease is a nonissue. We are all in the same boat. Any medical professional that makes judgements of how anyone became ill should be fired. It is not their place to judge their patients. It's funny, in my case it is believed I was possibly infected by a health worker (surgical nurse) who was infected but did not know it. How many are infected that way? They do not test workers so you the patient could be the one at risk like Cuteus points out, they can have it and not know it.
It is a shame on the medical community at large that they let their prejudices and opinions influence their treatment of patients. How unprofessional!

[Kalio1]

I heard about Dr. Maeso infecting so many people in Spain. Pretty unbelievabe he would be so callous and stupid. I am sure we have cases here in the US of doctors infecting patients, I read that quite a few heart surgeons ad anesthesioogist have it.
Seems it woud be prudent for hospitals to test their workers and doctors so precautions coud be taken but I would imagine that would cause big probems for them. What patient would want them to treat if they knew they were positive? It is a patient risk we are being exposed to that none of us agreed to.

How are you feeling? Did your enzymes come down some? Did the skin problems subside?

[scubadiver30]

And more about the point. For instance there are patients and Patients in this world. One case over here. A famous spanish singer named Raphael got a liver transplant recently due to Hep b or c not sure (he didn't make the waitlist) I mean, he got the first one that came out...But what about the hundred of patients waiting for months or years for a new liver in the waitlist? They were ahead of him (I know he's a great guy but shoot)
I'm sure if Pamela Anderson showed up in my stupid doctors office he would be kissing his behind the whole time...
Sad...
At least I know who my friends are now.
saludos and my apologies again and again

[scubadiver30]

I'm doing great thanks. It was only heat rash. My doc tells me i can wait for spring 07 to start TX...I even already bought 2 tubes of Gold Bond cream ;-)

getting ready to start....

saludos

[merlino]

I remember the dentist I had when my kids were little-18 yrs ago - he never wore gloves - never even thought anything about it at that time.

[Morgaina]

I never had a problem with a dentist when I was Just hepc but wouldn't do my much needed root canal when I was treating. The meds scared the life out of him. Readily admitted it to. Was really afraid of leaving my compromised system with an infection or a bleeding problem or whatever. Made arrangements with a surgeon 2 hrs. away to help me (still trying to be considerate) but through word of mouth I found a dentist that helps out chemo patients, saw me right away. Tooth was so bad there wasn't even a drop of blood during procedure, just infection. He made apoint of telling me, thought other dentist was a big chicken!!

[cuteus]

the rumor in PR was that he got a pig's liver! LOL! so I went online to read and the whole transplant story is sketchy. No mention of what liver issues he had. BTW, he was my adolescent idol, and I still like him a lot. I went to Carnegie Hall to see him in his farewell tour, 5 months post tp and he looks good and sang strong. But, why can't they own up to what he had? are there no leaks in Spain, rumors? was it really a pig's liver?

[NYgirl]

Thanks for saying that cause you know I read it...knew it wasn't meant that way - but still sort of took it to heart a little bit.

It's sad that any of us should feel that way BUT the truth is that mistakes of my youth DO embarrass me and make me feel bad sometimes...as a 'grown up' now I know better but...nobody likes to feel like a LOSER (as I put the L on my own head cause Lordy God in my OLD age now I feel like one too!)

Oh to be 17 again! ;)

Thanks.

[Drarig]

I have to agree with some of the comments above how certain healthcare providers are ignorant about the disease, unless they're a GI or Hep.  Many people may not see thread as my post is low in this thread, but I wish everyone could read it to know how bad it can be.  I had to do CPR on a guy who took a massive heart attack.  His body fluids came up into me as I was performing CPR, so the next day, I called my MD to see if I should go for bloodwork just to be on safe side.  He said absolutely.  His nurse called me back several days later & said, everything fine, except "you have HepC".  I said, what???  Everything fine?  What the hel! is that supposed to mean -- "fine"? I was devastated.  Then the doctor called me 2 days later & said I'm referring you out to a GI, I only had one or two other patients with this & I don't know what to do for you.  At a point of just finding out & having to deal with all the horrible emotions you go thru upon learning you have this, I had to deal with my doctor of 7 or 8 yrs sort of deserting me. His actions made me feel even worse.  I never really told anyone about my diagnosis, so I had to deal with it myself, having the only one person that knew more or less wash his hands of me.  Even his nurses seem to treat me different.  He has not personally seem me since, I have to see his Physician's Asst, whom I must say is very warm, caring, sympathetic & does not seem to think I'm a leper like his boss (who is also an internist).  I am very hurt by this & I can't switch docs, as I know alot of people in my area who work for doctors, so I continue to stay with the as# who is my doctor.  Thank goodness my GI is sympathetic & has helped me thru this & been supportive & has helped me become undetectable. I don't know what I would do without him (& his student interns) lol - old joke if anyone reading this remembers my thread from several months ago about his interns being present alot...  so yes, even your own MD's can be ignorant about this virus...

[sunspot]

drarig
I remember your post about you being learning specimen when you needed privicy. Sad.

scuba
No need for the mia culpa. We <u>know</u> what you are going through.
BTW, my teeth have always been bad but now they are so shot, I am getting implants. I'm waiting for the posts to heal so I can be fitted with the new teeth. Oh for a nice steak again.

[merlino]

Isn't it just awful to be made to feel this way? I have a few more tests to do b4 I start tx and I dread dread dread telling these people I have Hep C. I have to go back to the same place for a bone scan next week and am seriously thinking of going to another. Its enough just dealing with the fact we have it.

[merlino]

Well said. Just treat me the same as any patient and I'm fine.

[FlGuy]

Sometimes, I refer to my primary doc as 'Dr. Referral'.  And that's ok with me. I think there's an appreciation for a doc who says 'there's someone better than me for what ails you'. And, it's important to find that someone 'better' when it comes to hcv and its subtlties. To use an auto repair analogy, I don't want a muffler guy to fix the transmission or high-priced dealer tech to change a tire.  But it is important to find someone you can trust and is somewhat accessible, by whatever mean - phone, email, PA.  I've also learned that I do not want understanding or compassion from a medico - I want what they went to med school and practice for.  It would do me no good to have a doc say 'there's a good guy, poor SOB'.  In the end, I'm looking for results.  When I'm looking for comfort, understanding, tolerance from bad days - I go home.

[Drarig]

Thx for your comments.  It's nice to know I'm not alone when I hear from you guys.  Yes, I'm glad he referred me out, but I'm not glad he has not "personally" seem me since my diagnosis.  Not even to check me for my strep throat, my general visits, etc.  It's like the day I got my "hepC" diagnosis, is the day he stopped wanting to see me & started having the P/A see me.  Prior to that, he always saw me personally.