title: Utilization of free dental health care services provided to the perinatally infected human immunodeficiency virus children in Bangalore: longitudinal study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Use of Highly active anti-retroviral therapy have increased the life expectancy of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients and hence it is imperative that all efforts have to be made by Pediatric dentists to provide a better oral health for these children.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the rate of utilization of free dental treatment provided to these perinatally infected HIV positive children who were previously screened as a part of oral health survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Purposive sampling was used.
  
  
  METHODS
  Perinatally infected HIV children screened for oral health status.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients not screened during the oral health survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Attendance records of 319 perinatally HIV infected children consisting of 178 males and 141 females attending a specialized pediatric outpatient clinic at Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health were examined to compare treatment compliance rates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of patients in the severe category who completed treatment was significantly less compared with mild and advanced categories (P < 0.001). The difference in the proportion of patients who completed treatment between mild and advanced group was not statistically significant (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show that children with HIV have significantly lower compliance. Even though all dental treatment provided to them was free of the cost it still had no impetus to encourage them to go through with the treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, AECS Maaruti College of Dental Sciences and Research Centre, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Beena Javaregowda
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Parvathy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003752:Dental Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male