Can unsterilized scaling instruments transmit HIV and hepatitis?
Hello doctor,
I visited a hospital where a student, unaware that the instruments were not sterilized, performed hand scaling on four patients, including myself. My instruments were disinfected but not sterilized before the procedure, and genuine bleeding occurred during scaling from the gingiva. Given the exposure of blood to scalers and open wounds, I am concerned about the potential risks of HIV or hepatitis. I received a complete hepatitis vaccination during childhood, but I am unsure about the necessity of an HIV test. After scaling, I am experiencing inflammation in the gingiva, causing occasional pain. Is this normal? Should I consider testing for hepatitis B, or should I go for tests covering hepatitis A, B, and C? What specific tests should be taken, and when is the appropriate time to get tested for accurate results after potential infection? Please help.
Thank you.
04 May 2024 - 1 min read
How long does an oroantral fistula surgery take to heal?
Hello doctor,
I have undergone oroantral fistula surgery a few weeks ago. The healing was good, but I still feel some pain. Also, the tooth next to it is very tender to bite. How long is it normal to feel pain after this surgery?
Please help.
30 Apr 2024 - 1 min read
How To Get Rid of Negative Thoughts After a Burnout Period?
Hello doctor,
I experienced burnout two to three months back and now I am trying to recover from that. I started to eat and sleep again but in the last two months, I did not sleep well, and it affected me because I was unable to eat much. I noticed that I had bad and intrusive thoughts during this period. Could this be because of burnout and stress? How do I get back to normal after this period? After an emotional situation about which I stressed myself too much, my heart was beating fast for a month and then it started to beat normally again. I took an EKG, and a few blood tests all of which were fine, except that good cholesterol is a little low at 38 mg/dL.
How do I get back to normal after this period? Because now I have been sleeping and eating well for a few days and I noticed that I do not have too many bad thoughts and I feel a lot better. Though these thoughts are starting to dissipate little by little, I want to recover completely and would like to get rid of these negative thoughts. I am currently taking magnesium and zinc supplements. What can I do? Please help.
26 Apr 2024 - 1 min read
How to treat cracked teeth in the lower front tooth region?
Hi doctor,
I have four cracked teeth and one that might be starting to crack. I looked it up, and it seems like they are craze lines or oblique supragingival cracks because I do not have any symptoms. Most of the cracks are not very noticeable and are only on the part of the tooth that is closer to where I chew. There is one tooth where I have a very thin line going all the way up to the gums, but I can see it only when my teeth are not brushed for a while. But that is one of my front teeth, so I do not want it to get worse. I have another tooth in the top row that has several ripples on it, but I do not know if it is cracked yet. The most noticeable crack is on a tooth in the bottom row, and I have a few other cracked teeth in the bottom row, as well. I was just wondering if I need to see a dentist urgently about this or if I can wait a few weeks.
Also, I went to the dentist two months back to get a wisdom tooth pulled because I was having pain in it when drinking or eating sweets, and they said it was impacted. But after I got it pulled, I continued to have pain (under the same circumstances). It also spread to more and more teeth over time and has become increasingly painful. But I was having pain less and less often, as well. It has been several months now since the last time those teeth hurt. But I thought I would also bring it up because I similarly wanted to know if it was urgent. I have attached my X-rays. Please help.
Thank you.
17 Apr 2024 - 1 min read
