Current strategies for prevention of oral manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus

Strategies to prevent new-onset and recurrent oral manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), including fungal, viral, neoplastic, and idiopathic mucosal diseases and destructive periodontal conditions, are poorly understood.

A structured review of the English language literature in PubMed through March 2015 was conducted to identify current prevention strategies for initial and recurrent oral manifestations of HIV.

Pharmacologic approaches, including combination antiretroviral therapy or other targeted therapies for prevention of oropharyngeal candidiasis, orolabial herpes, oral hairy leukoplakia, oral Kaposi sarcoma, linear gingival erythema and necrotizing ulcerative periodontitis were found. Nonpharmacologic approaches for prevention of oropharyngeal candidiasis, orolabial herpes, oral hairy leukoplakia, and necrotizing ulcerative periodontitis are presented.

Current strategies for the prevention of oral manifestations of HIV include pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies. Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome, future vaccine therapy for pathogens causing oral mucosal disease, and the possible role of oral inflammatory disease prevention in controlling HIV disease progression are discussed.