Tooth extraction in HIV sero-positive patients

Tooth extraction is the dental treatment most commonly carried out among HIV positive patients. In this paper we propose a simple protocol for dental extractions in patients of this type, based on a review of the literature and on our own experience in this field. The factors to be considered when planning a dental extraction for HIV positive patients are: diagnosis of the lesion justifying the need for tooth extraction and medical assessment of the patient including the infection pathway, the stage of the disease, laboratory tests and drug therapy. The most frequent post extraction complications are a delay in the wound healing process, alveolitis and surgical wound infection. Fortunately, these complications tend to be rather uncommon and not too severe; they can be managed on an out-patient basis and their prevalence will probably tend to decrease with the introduction of the new anti-retroviral drugs for HIV-1.