Because infection with HIV will weakened your immune system, this means you will be susceptible to infections and other problems. In your mouth, this can cause pain and tooth loss. Dental and mouth problems related to HIV can be painful, which can cause trouble chewing or swallowing. This may prevent you from taking your HIV medication.
Can a dentist refuse to treat someone with HIV?
There is no legal obligation to do so, you’re unlikely to have HIV-specific complications with a reasonable CD4 count, and relatively few drugs used in dentistry have interactions with HIV medications (ones that do include sedatives for patients who have dental phobia and some antibiotics).
Can a dentist get HIV from a patient?
Dentists are at even less risk than doctors and nurses. She calculates that if a dentist has one patient with HIV, the annual risk of transmission to the dentist is around 0.0006 per cent which is ...
What is the most common treatment for HIV and AIDS?
- HIV medicine is called antiretroviral therapy (ART).
- There is no effective cure for HIV. But with proper medical care, you can control HIV.
- Most people can get the virus under control within six months.
- Taking HIV medicine does not prevent transmission of other sexually transmitted diseases.
What are the current treatments for HIV and AIDS?
Treatment - HIV and AIDS
- Emergency HIV drugs. If you think you've been exposed to the virus, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) medicine may stop you becoming infected.
- If you test positive. If you're diagnosed with HIV, you'll have regular blood tests to monitor the progress of the HIV infection before starting treatment.
- Antiretroviral drugs. ...
Can HIV cause dental problems?
Oral HealtH PrOblems are COmmOn amOng PeOPle lIVIng WItH HIV/aIds People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) experience a high incidence of common oral health problems (e.g., dental decay/cavities, gingivitis) as well as other oral health problems that are directly related to HIV infection.
Can HIV spread through dental care?
Dental surgery can transmit HIV and other deadly infections. This is becoming a worrisome trend among dentists. A major concern among dentists is cross-infection, i.e. from an infected patient to the dentist and further from the dentists to other patients in case of an accidental needle stick injury.
How does HIV affect the gums?
HIV can cause the salivary glands to swell, which can lead to reduced saliva production and dry mouth. Saliva protects the teeth and gums from plaque and helps fight off infection. Dry mouth can also be a side effect of HIV medications.
Can a dentist refuse to treat a patient with HIV?
Abstract. AIDS: U.S. District Judge Morton A. Brody ruled that dentist [name removed]'s written policy of refusing to treat patients with HIV is illegal and a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Overview
- People with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), are at special risk for oral health problems. Some of the most common oral problems for people with HIV/AIDS are: chronic dry mouth, gingivitis, bone loss around the teeth (periodontitis), canker sores, oral warts, fever blisters, oral c...
Causes
- People with HIV/AIDS have an increased risk for oral health problems because HIV/AIDS weakens the immune system and makes it harder to fight off infection.
Symptoms
- Oral health problems may include: Photos courtesy of Dr. David Reznik, HIVDent.org; and Dr. Jeff Lennox
Treatment
- The most common oral problems linked with HIV can be treated. So talk with your doctor or dentist about what treatment might work for you.
Helpful Tips
- In addition to the problems listed in the table above, you may experience dry mouth. Dry mouth happens when you don’t have enough saliva, or spit, to keep your mouth wet. Saliva helps you chew and digest food, protects teeth from decay, and prevents infections by controlling bacteria and fungi in the mouth. Without enough saliva, you could develop tooth decay or other infection…
Additional Resources