This course is mainly concerned with dental health care personnel exposure to pathogenic microorganisms. These organisms include HIV, HBV, HCV, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Creutzfeldf-Jakob Disease, staphylococci, steptococci, and other virus and bacteria that colonize or infect the oral cavity and respiratory tract.
This course will look into the standard precautions to protect Dental Health Care Personnel and patients from pathogens that spread by blood, body fluids, secretions, and excretions, nonintack skin, and mucous membranes. This includes saliva in dental patients even if no blood is present. Diseases are also transmitted through airborne, droplet, or contact transmission through sneezing, coughing and contact with skin. Examples of these are TB, influenza, and varicella.
Before infection can take place, the following conditions must be present:
ØThe pathogenic organism must be in adequate numbers and in sufficient virulence to cause the disease.
ØThere must be a reservoir (source) that allows the pathogen to survive and multiply.
ØThere must be a mode of transmission from the source to the host.
ØThere must be a portal of entry through which the pathogen can....