title: HIV disease.
abstract: Much has been learned about HIV disease during its first 20 years of existence in North America. The virus can now be successfully suppressed by HAART therapy, yet complete viral eradication from the body has not been demonstrated, and HIV transmissions continue to occur at an alarming rate. With support of the immune system, many HIV-infected patients will avoid oral and systemic opportunistic illnesses (or at least significantly prolong their time to onset). The number of HIV-infected patients under dental care is expected to increase in the future. Thus, dentists are fortunate that oral health care can be provided safely in the community setting for all but the very sickest of AIDS patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Ecology, School of Dentistry, CB #7450, 388 Dental Office Building, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7450, USA. Lauren_Patton@Dentistry.unc.edu
authors.forename: Lauren L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Patton
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D017742:Dental Care for Chronically Ill; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Q000517:prevention & control; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents