If you know someone living with HIV/AIDS, you must suggest that person include dental health care as a part of their treatment plan. The reason is that people with HIV/AIDS are prone to infections, including oral and dental disorders that affect their health conditions.

This article focuses on dental problems associated with HIV and lets you know how you can cope with dental issues related to HIV/AIDS. Before getting into how it affects oral health, let us take a quick look at what HIV/AIDS is.

Human immunodeficiency virus or HIV is a virus that infects the immunity generating T cells. The T cells are a crucial part of the human body's immune system as it fights back infections. HIV damages these cells, preventing your body from fighting back against diseases and disorders.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS is the disease caused by HIV infection, when your immune system weakens and becomes unable to fight against infections. This might even lead to cancer.

The dental problems associated with AIDS include:

1. Xerostomia

Commonly known as dry mouth, xerostomia happens when there is insufficient saliva flow inside your mouth. Saliva is essential as it is an effective defence against tooth damage and decay. Additionally, it maintains the health of the hard and soft tissues inside your mouth.

Saliva also removes residual food particles, neutralises the acids produced by bacteria, and allows the formation of substances that can fight diseases inside your mouth. It is essential protection against any overgrowth or microbial invasion that can lead to more severe oral diseases.

2. Candidiasis

Thrush or candidiasis is a fungal infection that happens when the yeast Candida albicans infects oral tissues. Also known as moniliasis, thrush is common in patients who wear dentures. Also, if you have a dry mouth problem, you have a greater risk of this condition.

3. Leukoplakia

Hairy leukoplakia is thick white patches similar to ridges and folds on the edges and sides of your tongue. They are also visible in the insides of your cheeks and the bottom of your mouth. You might mistake it for oral thrush since white patches are inside your mouth. However, your dentist won't scrap off hairy leukoplakia.

4. Red Band Gingivitis

Red band gingivitis is a specific form of gingivitis where deep red patches/bands about 2 to 3 mm in width form along the gingival area. It can be seen in the anterior teeth and spreads up to the posterior teeth. This includes bleeding and irritation inside your mouth.

5. Ulcerative Periodontitis

One of the classifications of periodontitis is a teeth problem due to AIDS known as ulcerative periodontitis. This includes the loss of tissue that attaches to and covers your teeth. As a result, you might notice bleeding, painful gums, and ulcer formation in the interdental papillae.

6. Kaposi’s Sarcoma

This disease affects the soft and the hard palate and gingiva inside your mouth. You will also notice brownish red tumours or plaques inside your mouth causing irritation. Often, certain tumours might be non-pigmented as well.

7. Canker Sores

Another dental problem due to AIDS is canker sores. They develop inside your mouth as minor white and grey patches and sores with a deep red border. There might be a single red patch or many, and they are not contagious. However, since the immune system is weak during AIDS, bacteria and viruses cause trauma to the soft tissues inside your mouth, resulting in canker sores.

8. Mouth Ulcers

They are small sores on the gums, inner cheeks, lips, or the roof of your mouth. They are painful and cause discharge inside your mouth too. Mouth ulcers are not contagious. However, mouth sores or ulcers can result in high fever, fatigue, muscle aches around your jawline, and a burning sensation near the ulcer.

Your dentist can treat most dental and mouth problems related to HIV. The best ways to cope with the issues are:

• Consult your doctor and take the medicines as prescribed on schedule.
• Avoid eating food and beverages that contain more sugar as bacteria might thrive, causing infection.
• Brush and floss your teeth twice daily and after your meals.
• Rinse your mouth with lukewarm salt water to eliminate the risks of oral infection.
• In case of dry mouth due to HIV/AIDS, visit your dentist and get treatment as per their suggestion.
• For professional dental cleanings and regular check-ups, visit your dentist twice or thrice a year.

So now that you know about the symptoms of teeth problems due to AIDS, taking care of your oral hygiene is a must. Dental and oral issues related to HIV/AIDS are painful while eating, swallowing, or chewing food. This can result in malnutrition since you cannot consume food as needed.

Keeping all the dental problems associated with HIV in mind, the best solution is to visit your dentist and discuss your dental issues caused due to HIV with them so that they can provide solutions and treatment accordingly.