Tuberculosis & dentistry

Fasahat Ahmed ButtRoll # 36Group: C

What is Tuberculosis? Transmission Diagnosis TB in Pakistan Relationship of TB with dentistry Decision tree for dental management of

TB patients Safety measures by dentists

Overview

Infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, which primarily affects the lungs but is also capable of involving almost any site in the body including the oral cavity.

TUBERCULOSIS

Aerosolized droplets 5µm in diameter. Estimated 5-200 orgs required for infection

Spreads through the air when a person:• Sneezes• Coughs• Speaks• Talks

Transmission

Chest x-rays Air appears black in lungs (radiograph)

Tuberculin skin test (TST or PPD)

Diagnosis

TB has been prevalent in Pakistan and unfortunately it has been one of the neglected health areas in the past.

Pakistan ranks 6th amongst the countries with a highest burden of TB in the world.

Pakistan contributes about 44% of tuberculosis burden in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

According to WHO, the incidence of sputum positive TB cases in Pakistan is 80/100,000 per year and for all types it is 177/100,000.

TB is responsible for 5.1 percent of the total national disease burden in Pakistan.

The impact of TB on socio economic status is substantial.

TB in Pakistan

In dentistry, the incidence of exposure to an active TB patient is quite low.

Oral lesions of TB are uncommon, with most cases appearing as a chronic painless ulcer.

This does not mean that the dental health care worker should not concern themselves with good diagnostic and preventive measures and realization that patients and other HCWs may be infected with TB.

Relationship of TB with dentistry

Decision Tree For Dental Management Of TB Patients

Patient Education Should educate the patient regarding his/her severe

health condition and needs to make sure that the patient should cover his/her mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing.

Barriers Dentist and dental nurse should wear gloves, eye

glasses and mask to prevent the possibility of microorganism from being transferred during dental procedures

Safety Measures By Dentist

Sterilization Proper sterilization of all the instruments

should be done before and after the treatment of that patient. The dentist should also disinfect his/her hand after treatment.