Lack of Oral Microbe May Increase Caries Risk in HIV-Infected Youth

When it comes to treating patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), oral health professionals play an integral role on the health care team. Dental providers are adept at recognizing oral manifestations of the virus, and can offer screening and referrals to medical care. In addition, a new study focused on HIV patients’ oral bacteria may provide clinicians with further insight into managing children with HIV.

A collaborative effort between The Forsyth Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the National Institutes of Health-funded Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study reports that children born with HIV may experience an increased risk for dental caries, as youth with HIV demonstrate reduced levels of Corynebacterium. The study, “Oral Microbiota in Youth With Perinatally Acquired HIV Infection,” published in Microbiome, followed a group of youth born with HIV, and a group born to HIV-infected mothers who were not infected. Investigators determined that while bacterial composition was generally similar in both groups, HIV-infected youth had fewer Corynebacterium in their oral biofilm, which may explain why this population experiences more caries. The findings may guide development of new therapies to prevent caries lesions in HIV-infected youth.

Read more about managing dental patients with HIV at: https://decisionsindentistry.com/article/managing-dental-patients-with-hiv/

To learn more about screening for HIV in dental practice, click here.