Response of dental professionals in Saudi Arabia towards hepatitis B vaccine and glove wearing.

Dental specialists, dental general practitioners, dental assistants and hygienists at the medical province of Riyadh (95, 111, 141 and 14 respectively), were surveyed to ascertain their uptake of vaccination against the hepatitis B virus. Only 25.3% of dental specialists, 14.4% of dental practitioners, 25.5% of dental assistants and 42.9% of hygienists have been vaccinated. Side effects of vaccination were always minimal. Some of those respondents who have not been vaccinated were aware of the necessity of the vaccine but unable to get anyone to do it for them and the other part were aware of the desirability of the vaccine but had not yet taken positive steps to seek vaccination. Despite the risks and possible sequelae of contracting hepatitis B infection, a few of the respondents still consider vaccination unnecessary. Surprisingly, a quarter of the non-vaccinated group were not aware of the availability of the vaccine. Unfounded ideas of contracting AIDS from the vaccine accounted for 5% of the total participants in this survey. Only a quarter of the vaccinated groups have had antibody titre tests after vaccination. Wearing rubber/latex gloves when treating all patients is a further simple preventive and protective measure. However, 5% of the surveyed group never wear gloves.