Are dentists legally bound to disclose if they are HIV positive?
Dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants who are diagnosed as HIV positive are not currently required to report their status to the State Board of Dental Examiners or the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. However, the healthcare provider who makes the diagnosis that an individual is HIV positive is obligated to report that finding to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The department will review all new reports of HIV infection and determine if the individual is a healthcare worker. When a healthcare worker is identified the department will “convene an expert advisory panel to provide advice to the department…(and) make a recommendation on whether the healthcare worker’s current practice represents a risk to patients. If a risk is determined, (the department) will counsel the healthcare worker . . .(and) will monitor the healthcare worker’s voluntary compliance with the counseling message.
