A Cross-sectional Study to Assess the Knowledge and Attitude of the Private Dental Practitioners toward the Treatment of HIV/AIDS Infected Individuals.

Background: Dentists have an ethical responsibility to provide treatment to HIV-infected patients, particularly because oral lesions are common among these patients. However, there are no official guidelines as to how to treat people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWHA) HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or how to screen for potentially infectious people. It is obvious that having adequate knowledge about HIV/AIDS enhances confidence in ability to manage infected patients. The present study was conducted to assess self-reported knowledge and attitude of the private dental practitioners toward the treatment of HIV/AIDS infected individuals.

Materials and Method: The present study was a Questionnaire based study which studied the factors associated with "Self-reported knowledge and attitude of the private dental practitioners toward the treatment of HIV/AIDS infected individuals".

Results: The willingness to treat patients with HIV was found to be 72.0% among the dental practitioners in the present study but majority (64%) of the dentists thought that treating an HIV patient would have an effect on the other patient's attitude in rendering treatment/dental care from them. Also, majority (70.0%) of the dentists thought that infection control procedures necessary for treatment of the patients with HIV is not a financial burden for the practice.

Conclusion: The level of knowledge regarding HIV and AIDS was found to be average in the present study. However, the dental school curriculum must, be updated and improved in order to enhance the knowledge of students as well teachers in those aspects.