About 300 people are being infected with the Hepatitis-B virus (HBV) each day in Beijing through visits to dentists. According to Modern Health News, this could produce about 110,000 victims a year.

According to available information, between 80 and 90 percent of patients suffer from gum bleeding when receiving treatment related to the buccal facial nerve (this transmits sensory information from skin over the buccal membrane and from the second and third molar teeth), opening up a great danger of infection by blood-transmitted HBV and HIV.

Many private stomatological clinics nationwide sterilize their equipments only with iodophor. But, experts explain, this can only disinfect the outside of the high-speed air turbine drill used by dentists, it does nothing for the patients' saliva and blood.

It can cost millions of yuan to buy high-temperature and high-pressure sterilization equipment. Those private businesses cannot afford or are not willing to spend that money, Modern Health News said.

Previous statistics in 2006 from the Chinese Stomatological Association show that around 97 percent of Chinese suffer dental problems such as decay or gum disorders.

(China.org.cn by Li Xiaohua, July 10, 2009)