A patient who has recovered from hepatitis A presents for routine dental treatment. The appropriate management is to:

Correct answer: A. Treat normally using standard precautions

• A. Correct. Hepatitis A is an acute, self-limiting, fecal-orally transmitted infection with no chronic carrier state. After recovery the patient is immune and can be treated normally with standard precautions.
• B. Hospital referral is unnecessary for a recovered HAV patient.
• C. Antibiotic premedication is unrelated to hepatitis A.
• D. There is no reason to defer care indefinitely once the patient has recovered.

Note: Elective care should be deferred only during the ACUTE, symptomatic phase of hepatitis A; once recovered, standard precautions apply.