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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Dental caries in HIV-seropositive women
J A Phelan1, R Mulligan, E Nelson
1Department of Oral Pathology (Mail Code 9436), New York University, College of Dentistry, 345 East 24th Street, New York, NY 10010, USA. joan.phelan@nyu.edu
Abstract:
Reports that compare dental caries indices in HIV-seropositive (HIV+) subjects with HIV-seronegative (HIV-) subjects are rare. The objective of this study was to determine if there was an association between HIV infection and dental caries among women enrolled in the Women's Interagency HIV Study. Subjects included 538 HIV+ and 141 HIV- women at baseline and 242 HIV+ and 66 HIV- women at year 5. Caries indices included DMFS and DFS (coronal caries) and DFSrc (root caries). Cross-sectional analysis of coronal caries data revealed a 1.2-fold-higher caries prevalence among HIV+ women compared with HIV- women. Longitudinally, DMFS increased with increasing age and lower average stimulated salivary volume. Root caries results were not significant except for an overall increased DFSrc associated with smoking. Anti-retroviral therapy was not identified as a risk factor for dental caries.
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