The last two decades have witnessed the development of several "new diseases" and unquestionably AIDS (Acquired Immune Defficency Syndrome) is the one disease that has produced the largest impact in humanity during this century. Not only a physical impact but psychological and behavioral impacts as well. Shortly after the identification of AIDS as a new disease, the dentist became an active and important member in the diagnosis and treatment of the oral complications of this immuno-deficient state.
Many works have been published on the oral and perioral complications of AIDS as well as on the dentist's participation in the management of HIV positive and AIDS patients. At the beginning of the epidemic there were many concerns about how and when to treat those patients but now, after more than sixteen years of the initially recognized cases, the public as well as the medical and dental professions' attitude toward this disease has changed notably. The change is owed in part to the vast knowledge that has been acquired not only on the causal agent but also on the complications and the many opportunistic infections that affect patients with AIDS.
The danger of contagion to the dental professional still exists but protective measures have been set forward and education in this area has been so extensive that the chance to acquire AIDS in the dental office is nearly non-existing. Part of the preventive procedures obviously are based on the adequate knowledge and the recognition of the clinical intra- and peri- oral manifestations of the disease. In spite of all the previous publications the objective of this presentation is to refresh and reaffirm the dentist's diagnostic ability of the various oral manifestations of AIDS.
Recent statistical studies have shown the frequency of several of the diseases listed above in HIV+ and AIDS patients as well as the gender predilection.