new dentist?

[mikeyb39]

hi all,
I had a question concerning my dentist, i never thought to ask anyone about it, including my Dr.  Ive been going to the same dentist for years, but now since I'm diagnosed should i continue seeing my current Dr and advise of my new status or should i locate another doc that specializes in HIV

I've been sitting here tonight and was planning on taking my first Atripla pill reading thru the threads of folks that have taken and am up-to-date on some of the possible side-effects and it doesn't seem so bad for the most part, but for some reason i couldn't put the pill in my mouth and swallow, i just kept staring at it, then talked myself out of it since i have to work tomorrow, was scared of being dizzy trying to go to work.  I've had the meds since Friday, but its my birthday weekend so decided not to take anything.

hope everyone has a great evening or morning whereever you are located.

thanks

[buginme2]

Good Question, I have been wondering the same thing myself.  I have been going to the same dentist for years and we have developed a great patient/Dr relationship.  It's like another disclosure.  Is it necessary to disclose that right away? Are there dentists that specialize in HIV? How do u find them?

[Brad101210]

All health care providers are to practice universal precautions. So in that aspect of things. I would say"no" they don't need to know. However! What if you need antibiotics for a root canal or some other major dental work. Your dentist needs to know what meds your taking so that he can make sure there's no major drug interactions.  I had a friend that didn't tell his dentist that he was on antidepressants, because he was embarrassed. He ended up having a seizure in the dental chair, because of a drug interaction from the drug that the dentist administered. Hope this helps.

[jkinatl2]

All dentists are supposed to use universal precautions. However, disclosing to a dentist is a great idea for YOUR sake, so that s/he can stay vigilant regarding your oral health. In addition, some of the drugs used to treat HIV and associated infections can cause oral thrush (antibiotics can do this, for one) and dry mouth, which could lead to gum disease.

I told my eye doctor that I tested positive for CMV for the same reason, so she could take a few extra minutes during my exam and check for any abnormalities.

[Brad101210]

Good point! I didn't think about the eye doctor.