PLATFORM : Time to Comply
The pressure is on, not just from OSHA and the Dental Society, but from a much more aware and nervous public.
My father has practiced dentistry for 30 years and seldom wore gloves. Now he looks like Dr. Kildare preparing for brain surgery in a hospital setting.
The AIDS situation has helped bring it all to a head. Additional costs have been incurred by the dentists now required to have entire outfits of disposable or sterilizable materials, with only certified cleaning services handling the soiled items. No more wife-gets-to-wash-smocks program.
Many dentists, especially those who graduated before AIDS, have resented and resisted the threats of OSHA and other regulatory agencies, but now that the patients are asking questions and inspecting equipment, it’s time to comply. This development is a good thing. It should have been done a long time ago. And still there is much room for improvement.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
