HIV-associated oral diseases in children

The article reviews the literature about HIV manifestations in the children’s oral cavity. The data of domestic and foreign authors on HIV-associated salivary gland disease, which is characteristic of HIV-infected children and rarely occurs in adults, are presented. The connection of the pathogenetic factor of HIV-associated salivary gland disease with the development of dental caries is considered. Additional factors influencing the risk of dental caries in HIV-positive patients are described: a decrease of the level of CD4+-lymphocytes, abundance of carbohydrate food in the diet, taking antiretroviral therapy drugs containing sucrose. The obtained data are necessary for dentists, infectious disease specialists and pediatricians to diagnose HIV-associated disease and undetected HIV infection (salivary gland disease is an early clinical indicator of immunosuppression), as well as for planning further treatment.