Background: Romania, the pediatric AIDS capital of the world, has tremendous unmet dental care needs for children and adolescents with HIV infection. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of orodental conditions in symptomatic HIV-positive children from Constanta, Romania.
Methods: The children underwent dental examinations and treatment at Constanta Municipal Hospital by a volunteer team of dental healthcare professionals from the United States. Oral lesions and dental caries were recorded during an 8-day period prior to initiating comprehensive dental care.
Results: The study population consisted of 173 children (88 males; 85 females) with a mean age of 8.8 years (range 6 to 12 years). The primary HIV risk factor was contaminated needle reuse and/or blood products (88%). The most common oral and perioral lesions included: candidiasis (29%), ulcers (15%), salivary gland disease (9%), necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis/periodontitis (5%), linear gingival erythema (4%), labial molluscum contagiosum (3%), oral warts (2%), hairy leukoplakia (2%), and herpes zoster (1%). One or more oral/perioral lesions occurred in 55% of the children. Severe dental caries was noted in the majority of children (dfs/dft 16.9/3.7 and DMFS/DMFT 8.1/3.1). Over-retention of primary teeth (25%) and delayed eruption (42%) were common. Postoperative complications included delayed clotting (common) and thrombocytopenia-induced bleeding disorders (4%).
Conclusions: The oral healthcare needs of Romanian HIV-infected children are considerable, with the majority living with persistent, symptomatic oral disease.