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My dentist visit experience as a Hep C'er
My first visit to the dentist while I "knowingly" had Hep c was a bit embarrassing. The dentist did not ask me how i "got it" at least. But I found it ODD that I had a filling that was old and needed to be replaced and when I asked him if he could do this he said it was better to leave it alone. He cleaned my teeth and did use the little hooik to chip away some of the tartar on my teeth but not all. I did bleed allot and of course had warned him about the hep c before hand ..so I can't really blame him. I f he didn't do a thorough job because he was afraid of becoming infected how can you not understand that. He told me I needed to see a periodontist, which didn't surprise me because I had had gum surgery when I was only 21 for gum disease. (I was about 44 at the time of THIS dentist visit). I went home but never called a periodontist because I was just too embarrassed.
Yesterday I went back to a new dentist a co-worker kept nagging me to go to. My co-worker does not know I have Hep C. He kept bugging me to go to see his dentist ..there are not many dentists in my area that accept the insurance I now have and I really neede to see a dentist since I hadn't been in 4 years..so I finally went.
I did the what I consider the right thing and told him right away that I had Hep C and asked him if he was alright with this. He asked me if had consulted my doctor, and said that I may need to take antibiotics first like people with heart murmurs and such, before getting dental treatment. I told him I had never heard of that for Hep C. He then asked me how I got Hep C. This was really humililating to me since I don't see why that matters, but I told him it was probably from some tattoos I had gotten when I was younger. The truth is I USED to main line heroiin way before anyone knew about AIDS and HEP C and I probably got it back then..but I really don't feel comfortabe telling people I used to be a junky..Now i am Not but NOW i have Hep C and no matter how clean I live my life now and how STUPID i NOW know I was I will ALWAYS have this Hep C to remind me of my passt and it really *****! He looked at my x rays and told my I had a large cavity and gum disease, he said he would only polish my teeth and to talk to my doctor. Before leaving I asked him that if I talk to my doctor and he tells me it is OK to go to the dentist, I wanted to know honestly if the Hep C would be a problem with him, he said he would have to see after I spoke to my doctor.
On the train ride home I felt so depressed and dirty. I started to think paranoid thoughts about him telling my co-worker about me, "You know that woman you reccomended to see me...she's got Hepatitis C!!!" Oh God ..I hope not, but it does worry me. When I got home I told myself it would be alright, I will find another dentist. I went online and looked for dentists that take my insurance. I found a good dentist in my area after MUCH web surfing and am going to call tomorrow morning for an appointment.
And now the Question that BURNS in my brain...Do I tell THIS dentist I have Hep C!!?? I know the morally correct answer is YES..YES OF COURSE! But now I think if this dentist is afraid to treat me I have just about run out of options, my dam tooth is hurting and I need to get it fixed AND then see a periodontist...AND aren't dentists SUPPOSSED to clean all their utensils THOUROUGHLY? Also, so many people have Hep C and don't even know.
I am thinking of just asking the dentist to please be sure to thouroughly clean all the equipment because a "friend" I know contacted Hep C from haveing dental work and thereby asking them how well they clean everything...would that be responsible enough?? I would never never want to pass this Hep C on to anyone , am I correct in thinking if the dentist is CLEAN no one will be infected from me? Would it be horrible not to tell the dentist I have Hep C?? And if I do tell the dentist and I end up losing all my teeth because I can't find a dentist how will take my insurance AND treat me...THEN have I done the right thing??
DEPRESSED AND CONFUSED.
Yesterday I went back to a new dentist a co-worker kept nagging me to go to. My co-worker does not know I have Hep C. He kept bugging me to go to see his dentist ..there are not many dentists in my area that accept the insurance I now have and I really neede to see a dentist since I hadn't been in 4 years..so I finally went.
I did the what I consider the right thing and told him right away that I had Hep C and asked him if he was alright with this. He asked me if had consulted my doctor, and said that I may need to take antibiotics first like people with heart murmurs and such, before getting dental treatment. I told him I had never heard of that for Hep C. He then asked me how I got Hep C. This was really humililating to me since I don't see why that matters, but I told him it was probably from some tattoos I had gotten when I was younger. The truth is I USED to main line heroiin way before anyone knew about AIDS and HEP C and I probably got it back then..but I really don't feel comfortabe telling people I used to be a junky..Now i am Not but NOW i have Hep C and no matter how clean I live my life now and how STUPID i NOW know I was I will ALWAYS have this Hep C to remind me of my passt and it really *****! He looked at my x rays and told my I had a large cavity and gum disease, he said he would only polish my teeth and to talk to my doctor. Before leaving I asked him that if I talk to my doctor and he tells me it is OK to go to the dentist, I wanted to know honestly if the Hep C would be a problem with him, he said he would have to see after I spoke to my doctor.
On the train ride home I felt so depressed and dirty. I started to think paranoid thoughts about him telling my co-worker about me, "You know that woman you reccomended to see me...she's got Hepatitis C!!!" Oh God ..I hope not, but it does worry me. When I got home I told myself it would be alright, I will find another dentist. I went online and looked for dentists that take my insurance. I found a good dentist in my area after MUCH web surfing and am going to call tomorrow morning for an appointment.
And now the Question that BURNS in my brain...Do I tell THIS dentist I have Hep C!!?? I know the morally correct answer is YES..YES OF COURSE! But now I think if this dentist is afraid to treat me I have just about run out of options, my dam tooth is hurting and I need to get it fixed AND then see a periodontist...AND aren't dentists SUPPOSSED to clean all their utensils THOUROUGHLY? Also, so many people have Hep C and don't even know.
I am thinking of just asking the dentist to please be sure to thouroughly clean all the equipment because a "friend" I know contacted Hep C from haveing dental work and thereby asking them how well they clean everything...would that be responsible enough?? I would never never want to pass this Hep C on to anyone , am I correct in thinking if the dentist is CLEAN no one will be infected from me? Would it be horrible not to tell the dentist I have Hep C?? And if I do tell the dentist and I end up losing all my teeth because I can't find a dentist how will take my insurance AND treat me...THEN have I done the right thing??
DEPRESSED AND CONFUSED.
Simple...just go to a dentist that specilaizes with hep patients...can of worms closed....only one thing tho...a longer waiting time to see the dentist..and are only maybe one or two in one state or province
Hey Proactive, why not go one step further ?
Get a medical bracelet or necklace showing your HCV status. That way, god forbid, you get into an accident, are unconscious and bleeding badly, then everybody knows to leave you alone unless they are properly protected.
Imo, lots more of a chance to infect somebody like that, than at the dentist office.
====================================================
quote by Jim,
I'm sure you're a real pro as well as your staff -- but frankly, I would prefer to have my surgeon (and support staff) giving 100% concentration to my operation and not thinking about what might happen to their viral infection if they make a slip.
If surgery is like other tasks I'm more familiar with, then practice makes perfect in part because we have gone beyond the "thinking" stage and more into the reflexive stage
=======================================================
Excellent point Jim.
And another good reason to only tell only, on a need to know basis.
If medical professionals do not treat every patient as if they had a communicable disease, they are not doing their jobs correctly as their license or certification requires.
Imo, No need to get your surgeon shaking in his boots. Or preoccupied with anything but how to preform your surgery to the best of his ability. That might even make them nervous enough to make a mistake and get infected, or worse.
I wonder how many medical professionals with HCV, or Hiv, etc, tell their patients.
Get a medical bracelet or necklace showing your HCV status. That way, god forbid, you get into an accident, are unconscious and bleeding badly, then everybody knows to leave you alone unless they are properly protected.
Imo, lots more of a chance to infect somebody like that, than at the dentist office.
====================================================
quote by Jim,
I'm sure you're a real pro as well as your staff -- but frankly, I would prefer to have my surgeon (and support staff) giving 100% concentration to my operation and not thinking about what might happen to their viral infection if they make a slip.
If surgery is like other tasks I'm more familiar with, then practice makes perfect in part because we have gone beyond the "thinking" stage and more into the reflexive stage
=======================================================
Excellent point Jim.
And another good reason to only tell only, on a need to know basis.
If medical professionals do not treat every patient as if they had a communicable disease, they are not doing their jobs correctly as their license or certification requires.
Imo, No need to get your surgeon shaking in his boots. Or preoccupied with anything but how to preform your surgery to the best of his ability. That might even make them nervous enough to make a mistake and get infected, or worse.
I wonder how many medical professionals with HCV, or Hiv, etc, tell their patients.
Jim:
The reason surgeons and OR staff get injured in the first place is that they end up lost in concentration while taking care of their patients. It’s that reflexive part you mentioned where we get in trouble. The handing back and forth of sharp instruments is completely routine. That routine needs to be interrupted to prevent accidents, but it’s impossible to do so continually since it is, indeed, a routine task. Universal precautions are necessary, but because of human nature they are a simplistic approach to preventing the spread of infection.
That extra knowledge is to protect me, which is vital because my life is just as important as my patient's. Professionalism dictates that physicians must sometimes put their patient's interests before their own. Cancelling out on dinner plans, missing family functions and getting called in at three o'clock in the morning are all part of the deal. I just want as much information as possible to protect myself, since a surgeon is much more likely to be infected by a patient with Hep C than vice versa. There are only a handful of known cases of surgeons infecting patients, whereas hundreds of healthcare workers are infected annually. I don’t have the statistics for Hep C, but approximately 250 healthcare workers die each year from chronic Hep B infection. There’s a vaccine for Hep B with a high number of healthcare workers vaccinated and still 250 healthcare workers die from Hep B? I imagine the spread of Hep C infection from patient to surgeon is much higher.
I assume you are a good driver and take all the necessary precautions to avoid being involved in a traffic accident. Are you more careful on New Year's Eve or do you treat it like any other night? How about when it rains or snows?
Jeff
The reason surgeons and OR staff get injured in the first place is that they end up lost in concentration while taking care of their patients. It’s that reflexive part you mentioned where we get in trouble. The handing back and forth of sharp instruments is completely routine. That routine needs to be interrupted to prevent accidents, but it’s impossible to do so continually since it is, indeed, a routine task. Universal precautions are necessary, but because of human nature they are a simplistic approach to preventing the spread of infection.
That extra knowledge is to protect me, which is vital because my life is just as important as my patient's. Professionalism dictates that physicians must sometimes put their patient's interests before their own. Cancelling out on dinner plans, missing family functions and getting called in at three o'clock in the morning are all part of the deal. I just want as much information as possible to protect myself, since a surgeon is much more likely to be infected by a patient with Hep C than vice versa. There are only a handful of known cases of surgeons infecting patients, whereas hundreds of healthcare workers are infected annually. I don’t have the statistics for Hep C, but approximately 250 healthcare workers die each year from chronic Hep B infection. There’s a vaccine for Hep B with a high number of healthcare workers vaccinated and still 250 healthcare workers die from Hep B? I imagine the spread of Hep C infection from patient to surgeon is much higher.
I assume you are a good driver and take all the necessary precautions to avoid being involved in a traffic accident. Are you more careful on New Year's Eve or do you treat it like any other night? How about when it rains or snows?
Jeff
Jim:
Just re-read my post. That last paragraph isn't meant to be sarcastic.
Jeff
Just re-read my post. That last paragraph isn't meant to be sarcastic.
Jeff
Jeff, your insight here is invaluable; thank you very much for sharing this info. I’ve never hesitated telling any health care provider that I am HCV RNA positive for just the reasons you’ve mentioned; and I’ve never perceived any bias or prejudicial treatment (that I’m aware of) for doing so.
I’d hope that the medical profession has the sophistication to look beyond this disease as a barrier to equal care, and respect a patient for offering this knowledge, regardless of the rules of uniform precaution.
Thanks again for your input—I’ll continue to notify phlebotomists or anyone else that comes at me with a sharp object; that includes muggers, ex-wives, etc :o).
Bill
I’d hope that the medical profession has the sophistication to look beyond this disease as a barrier to equal care, and respect a patient for offering this knowledge, regardless of the rules of uniform precaution.
Thanks again for your input—I’ll continue to notify phlebotomists or anyone else that comes at me with a sharp object; that includes muggers, ex-wives, etc :o).
Bill
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