Resource implications for oral care of patients with HIV

The aim was to investigate the attitudes of people with HIV infection towards their own dental care provision and the possible implications for future resource allocation.

Sixty-nine HIV positive subjects attending support groups in London were interviewed. Past and current dental visiting behaviour, problems encountered in obtaining dental care and preferred site of delivery for dental care were investigated.

Showed that a majority (74%) changed dentist or stopped attending following diagnosis with HIV, either due to fear of or actual refusal of treatment, a desire to attend a more sympathetic dentist or to attend a specialist clinic. Forty-five per cent withheld information about their status. Subjects expressed a desire to receive regular dental care and had definite preferences as to the site of delivery, 45% preferring general practice, 48% specialist clinics.

Future resource allocation should be used for continued support and education of general dental practitioners willing to treat HIV positive patients, and for accessible specialist referral centres. Hospital clinics could also provide regular routine care, especially in areas of large HIV populations. An improved awareness of and access to community dental clinics appears to be needed, with efforts focused on achieving an informed and educated patient population through education programmes.