Dental CE Course: Tuberculosis

Course Description
TB Infection simply means that the individual has the bacteria present in his or her body and may develop TB in their lifetime. A person who only has TB infection cannot spread TB. A person with TB disease gets sick (has symptoms of the disease) and can spread the disease. An individual is capable of infecting others with tuberculosis only when the disease is active. Understanding the difference between TB infection and TB disease is fundamental in controlling TB. In the US, 90% of infected individuals will remain free from developing TB disease in their lifetime. Five percent (5%) of recently infected individuals will develop TB disease within 1-2 years after infection. The other 5% will develop TB later in life. Therefore, the greatest risk of developing TB disease is within the first 1-2 years after infection.

Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
Detail the history of Tuberculosis.
Understand the difference between latent infection and disease.
Describe the process of Tuberculosis transmission.
Recognize risk factors associated with Tuberculosis disease.
Discuss the testing and diagnostic procedures associated with Tuberculosis.
Understand the management and referral of patients with infectious Tuberculosis.
Assess the dental practice setting for risk of Tuberculosis transmission.
List elements of a good dental office Tuberculosis Control Plan.