The Repercussions of HIV in Oral Health

The mouth experiences dryness, enlargement of the lymph nodes which is referred as lymphadenopathy, thrush or oral candiasis, hairy leukoplakia coupled with viral infection or Epstein-Barr virus, Kaposi’s sarcoma, periodontal disease, swelling of the salivary glands, viral sores and warts and canker sores.

Occurrence of these dental problems signifies a change in the strength of immune system. So, it is important to watch out for these oral problems and consult your dentist or physician immediately. Oral health care such as regular dental visits, frequent brushing and flossing and mouth wash with fluoride are very necessary for HIV-infected persons because the dental problems they are having is most likely associated with HIV and also signify any changes in the level of strength of their immune system.

Dryness of the mouth is brought about by medicines taken by the HIV patient. With dry mouth the patient becomes more prone to gingivitis, oral yeast infection, tooth decay and gum disease. These oral problems occur when the mouth has less saliva to cleanse sugar, bacteria, food and toxins that the bacteria produced. Acids caused by bacteria in the mouth cause tooth decay. A gel or saliva substitute will be prescribed by the doctor to fight thrush and tooth decay.

For children infected with HIV and AIDS, the dentist will treat this with medicated mouth wash. These thick and medicated mouth rinses contain sugar to make them sweet and taste good for children. If your child takes these kinds of mouth rinses, you should always make sure that their mouths are rinsed with water to avoid tooth problems. For children with HIV and tooth decay, this situation will give them pain, chewing difficulty, pain, infection, underweight and undernourishment. If tooth decay is present, the children will have a hard time chewing their food because if the pain and may affect his mood to eat and be able to obtain the proper nutrition his or her body needs.

Some oral problems are associated with the presence of HIV and therefore, when visiting your dentist, you should tell them your medical condition, the status of your immunity and the drugs that you are currently taking so that they can give the proper medication. Without this information, the teeth expert may administer dental drugs and medication which may not be effective to combat these mouth problems.

HIV or AIDS patients do not see the need for antibiotics before any main dental treatment. Antibiotics will only be used if there is the presence of neutropenia, which means low blood count. An antibiotic mouth wash may be prescribed before and after surgical treatment. Low red blood cell count is common to people with HIV because of the antiretroviral drug therapy. The dentist should be aware of these health conditions and the patient must inform them of the result of their blood test to ensure that the proper medication is given to them.

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