3 Common Dental Issues Associated With HIV/AIDS
Posted on: 13 October 2016
If you've recently been diagnosed with HIV/AIDs, then it's important to know that there are a number of dental conditions that patients with HIV and AIDS are more susceptible to. Below are three such dental issues and how your dentist will work with you to treat and manage them.
Oral Thrush
Oral thrush, also called oral candidiasis, is a fungal infection of the throat and mouth. Unfortunately, patients with HIV or AIDS can be more susceptible to this condition due to a weakened immune system.
While not life threatening, this condition can be bothersome (it alters taste) and sometimes painful (it causes burning and/or itching). It can also be a sign that your HIV is progressing. If you suspect thrush, your dentist or physician will be able to diagnose it based on a physical examination and prescribe medications to treat the fungal infection. Your dentist may also require more frequent visits to ensure that the thrush is under control.
Gum Disease
While gum disease is a common dental condition for patients both with and without HIV, patients with HIV are at a much higher risk of infections due to this treatable dental condition.
Patients with HIV can develop two forms of gum disease: necrotizing ulcerative periodontitis (NUP) and linear gingival erythema (LGE). Both of these particular forms can lead to rapid bone loss and need to be treated immediately. Common symptoms include severe pain near the gums and spontaneous bleeding, both of which should be brought to the attention of your dentist and physician immediately. Of course, management of such conditions is possible, but it requires vigilance on behalf of the patient and a willingness to visit your dentist on a regular basis.
Dry Mouth
Aside from the unpleasant symptoms associated with dry mouth, patients with dry mouth are also more susceptible to developing cavities and bacterial infections.
There are a number of reasons why HIV/AIDS patients experience dry mouth, though medications and salivary gland enlargement are the two most common reasons. If you're struggling with dry mouth, it's vital that you see a dentist right away. You and your dentist can come up with a management plan that will prevent damage to your oral health and make the condition more bearable. For example, your dentist may recommend chewing sugarless gum or sucking on sugarless candies throughout the day. Your dentist will also likely prescribe a fluoride rinse to take on a daily basis, and may want to see you more than two times per year to ensure that this condition hasn't caused any oral health issues.
To learn more about how HIV/AIDS may affect dental health, or if you suspect that you're suffering from any of the above mentioned conditions, make an appointment to speak with a dentist like Bradley T Piotrowski DDS MSD LLC.
Share