Implications of HIV disease for oral health services

This paper, by means of a quality framework, reviews health services research in relation to people with HIV infection. The relevance of oral health care services to people's needs is considered in terms of the goal of health services to reduce the burden of disease on the everyday life of the population. Dental services may therefore have a role in primary prevention in the HIV epidemic, passing on information about HIV and promoting health through the early diagnosis and treatment of oral disease. Effectiveness research of oral health care in HIV assesses the usefulness of oral diagnosis, whether care is safe, and whether treatment is clinically effective. Few data are available on the efficiency of services. People with HIV still have problems accessing dental care, due to the volume of care available in relation to their need and acceptability of care. Access problems in the US are compounded by social inequality. Health services research data are particularly sparse in resource-poor countries, and there is a need to translate the available information into treatment guidelines appropriate to these settings. The research community and funding agencies should place greater emphasis on the quality of oral health services for people with HIV.