California Infection Control Regulations for Dental Professionals.

Infection control regulations that affect dental professionals come from several regulatory agencies and are increasingly complex. Staying up to date on changes and the overlapping requirements can challenge a busy dental practice. This article reviews the current regulations in California and suggests methods for ensuring every dental office is in compliance.

Knowledge and attitudes about HIV/AIDS of students in H.P. Government Dental College and Hospital, Shimla, India.

The purpose of this cross-sectional survey was to assess the knowledge and attitudes towards patients with HIV/AIDS among dental students in H.P. Government Dental College, Shimla, India. In November 2011, a survey was conducted of all the dental students of the college using a forty-five-item, self-administered questionnaire. The total mean knowledge score was 68.3 percent (good knowledge). The mean knowledge score was statistically higher in the clinical group than in the preclinical group. A majority of the students were aware of the association between HIV and oral candidiasis (89.1 percent), major aphthous (83.2 percent), and Kaposi's sarcoma (68.9 percent). Only 4.9 percent had professional attitudes about treating patients with HIV/AIDS. Male students had significantly fewer negative attitudes and higher positive attitudes than female students. The overall attitude score was significantly higher in the clinical group than in the preclinical group. Although a majority of the students had good knowledge, there were some inadequacies in their knowledge; those were more frequently seen in the preclinical students. It is important that dental students, as future dentists, develop not only the necessary practical skills but also knowledge and attitudes that will prepare them to treat patients with HIV/AIDS.