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.