The global burden of oral diseases in pediatric HIV-infected populations: a workshop report

Abstract

Objectives: To achieve a comprehensive understanding about the global burden of oral diseases in HIV-infected children and to identify research needs.

Materials and methods: A literature search was conducted in PubMed (2009-2014) to address five questions: (i) prevalence of oral diseases in HIV-infected compared with uninfected children, (ii) impact of oral diseases on quality of life, (iii) effect of antiretroviral exposure in utero on craniofacial and dental development, (iv) important co-infections and antiretroviral complications, and (v) value of atraumatic restorative treatment.

Results: Studies showed a high prevalence of dental caries in HIV-infected children but the relationship between HIV infection and dental caries remains unclear. Also quality of life needs further investigation supported by better study designs and improvement of the instruments used. Up-to-date evidence suggested long-term harms associated with in utero antiretroviral exposure were minor but would require long-term follow-up through National Registries. The reviews also revealed the wide spectrum of metabolic disease due to antiretroviral therapy and co-infections such as tuberculosis. Finally, atraumatic restorative technique appears to be a simple and safe technique to treat dental caries but outcomes need further evaluation.

Conclusions: The impact of antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected children has raised novel challenging questions in the field of oral health warranting future research.

Keywords: HIV; antiretrovirals; children; dental caries; oral lesions; oral-health-related quality-of-life.