Dental Health Status of HIV-Positive Patients and Related Variables in Southeast Iran.
BACKGROUND
Different factors can be responsible for the increased prevalence of dental caries and missing teeth in HIV-positive patients.


OBJECTIVE
This study evaluates dental health status and its relationship with social, behavioral, and medical factors in HIV-positive patients under the coverage of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences in Southeast Iran.


METHODS
In a cross-sectional study, the dental health status of 119 HIV-positive patients was assessed in accordance with WHO indices and included decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT). A questionnaire on different social, behavioral, and medical variables was filled out for every case and the relationship and correlation of the variables to dental health status were investigated using One-way ANOVA, the Kruskal Wallis test, the t-test, the Mann-Whitney test, Spearman's rho correlation coefficient, and Pearson correlation.


RESULTS
The mean value of DMFT index was 11.87 ± 8.08, where the mean values of decayed and missing teeth were 8.42 ± 5.44 and 3.43 ± 4.07, respectively. DMFT index, decayed, and missing teeth correlated only with age (P < 0.0001, P = 0.009, P < 0.0001) and duration of HIV involvement (P = 0.004, P = 0.031, P = 0.007).


CONCLUSIONS
The dental health status of HIV-positive patients in this region was almost inappropriate. Most social, behavioral, and medical factors had no influence on dental health; only a correlation between dental health, age, and duration of HIV involvement was observed.
Oral and Dental Disease Research Center, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Faculty of Dentistry, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran.
Shirin
S
Saravani
Oral and Dental Disease Research Center, Department of Oral Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran.
Tahereh
T
Nosrat Zehi
Oral and Dental Disease Research Center, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Faculty of Dentistry, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran.
Hamideh
H
Kadeh
Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, IR Iran.
Sarvar
S
Mir
Dental Heath; HIV; Iran