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Risk From Saliva Ejector
I visited the dentist a couple of weeks ago for my bi-annual cleaning. There were two techs present during the exam and subsequent cleaning. One tech checked my teeth while the other operated the saliva ejector. I immediately noticed blood on the ejector once it was in my mouth. Naturally, I would assume the blood is mine; however, the tube had not been in mouth very long and I wasn’t certain—as I hadn’t been paying close attention. If the tube had not been replaced and the blood was not mine, is there a potential risk?
COMMUNITY LEADER
It is a standard practice everywhere to use sterilized equipment on any patient. Un-sterilized equipment are now seldom used even in the developing and medically less sophisticated countries. So I can safely assume that the saliva ejector was sterilized when it was introduced into your mouth.
Even if it is assumed for a while, that the equipment carried blood from any previous patient, still it is not an HIV risk because any infectious (if it was infected) body fluid, once exposed to ambient air, becomes inactivated instantly and does not remain infectious any more from HIV standpoint.
Even if it is assumed for a while, that the equipment carried blood from any previous patient, still it is not an HIV risk because any infectious (if it was infected) body fluid, once exposed to ambient air, becomes inactivated instantly and does not remain infectious any more from HIV standpoint.
1 Comments
Thank you so much.
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