Oral conditions and their social impact among HIV dental patients

Abstract

This study aimed to assess oral health status and the social impact of oral conditions among dental patients with HIV infection in comparison with general dental patients receiving public-funded care in Adelaide, South Australia. DMFT and CPITN indices were recorded by one dentist at a clinic for HIV dental patients. The data were compared with information from an existing survey of general dental patients. Social impact was assessed using the Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaire and responses from HIV dental patients were compared with responses from a telephone interview survey of Adelaide residents. HIV patients were aged 21 to 49 years (median = 34), 90.7 percent were male and 29.6 percent had stage 4 HIV infection. Oral candida was present among 32.0 percent, hairy leukoplakia among 24.1 percent, HIV gingivitis among 18.5 percent, and HIV periodontitis among 33.3 percent. The DMFT index and its components did not differ significantly between HIV and general dental patients, while CPITN scores were lower among HIV patients (p = 0.01). However social impact among HIV patients was frequent: 64.6 percent reported toothache, 43.7 percent avoided foods, and 16.7 percent avoided going out because of dental problems. HIV patients reported significantly greater levels of social impact than the Adelaide sample (p < 0.01). Patients to this clinic frequently presented with severe and disabling oral conditions which were not adequately captured using standard clinical indices.