Hepatitis B vaccine usage among dental practitioners in the United States: an epidemiological survey.

A telephone survey of 283 nonfederally affiliated dental practitioners in the United States was completed in April 1986. The study's objectives were to determine hepatitis B vaccine usage among dentists nationwide, and to examine the epidemiologic characteristics of vaccinated and unvaccinated subjects. Forty-four percent of the participants had received at least the first of the three doses of HB vaccine. Acceptance of the vaccine was associated with the use of gloves during dental procedures and the subject's perception of high-risk patients in his or her dental practice. The most common reasons for not being vaccinated were concerns about vaccine safety and a lack of perceived need for the vaccine. The vaccination rate in this survey is higher than in earlier studies, indicating that acceptance of the vaccine by dental practitioners is increasing.