Risk of Infectious Illnesses
The Wallace State Community College dental hygiene/dental assisting students, in the
course of their clinical/academic duties have significant exposure to blood, blood
products, tissue, secretions, or body fluids of patients potentially containing Hepatitis
B (HBV) and are at risk for HBV as well as other infectious diseases. Unintentional
punctures of the skin with contaminated instruments or needles sometimes occur despite
careful technique. These factors increase student risk for contracting diseases.
When a prospective student contracts an infectious disease, he/she should consider
how that status would affect his/her future in healthcare. Information to help make
decisions about one’s future as a student or healthcare worker is available through
a personal physician.
All dental hygiene/dental assisting students and faculty are professionally and ethically
obligated to provide patient care with compassion and respect for human dignity. No
dental program student or faculty may refuse to treat a patient solely because the
patient it high risk for contracting, or is HIV positive, or has hepatitis or any
other infectious disease.
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