Oral Lesions in People Living with HIV: The Lining HIV Study

Oral manifestations are common in people living with HIV (PLWH) and may affect oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), while data from Greece remain limited. This multicenter prospective cohort study evaluated oral health status and OHRQoL among PLWH and explored associations with antiretroviral therapy (ART) and clinical factors. Overall, 370 PLWH from seven referral centers were included. Participants underwent oral examination, with oral hygiene assessed using the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S), and completed the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14). Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics v29.0, while multinomial and binary logistic regression identified predictors of oral hygiene status and OHRQoL, respectively. Most participants were male (76.5%), had CD4 counts ≥ 200 cells/μL (95.4%), and were receiving ART (98.6%). Annual dental check-ups, daily tooth brushing, mouthwash use, and dental floss use were reported by 54.1%, 69.5%, 31.9%, and 23.8%, respectively. The median OHI-S score was 2.0 (IQR:1.5-2.7), with 16.9% having poor OHI-S; the median OHIP-14 score was 11 (IQR: 7-15), with 64.4% reporting poor OHRQoL. Male sex was associated with lower odds of poor OHRQoL (OR = 0.377; p = 0.006), whereas ART regimen independently predicted poor OHRQoL. These findings support patient-centered oral healthcare within HIV care.