Prevalence Of Orofacial Pain In Hiv Patient: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Aim
The purpose of this review, was to evaluate and understand the prevalence of orofacial pain in the case of HIV/AIDS patients.
Methodology
The search strategy revealed 1,374 articles through database searching. Overall, 11 articles were found to be relevant for further analysis. HIV comes with an array of complexities in the oral cavity and is also reflection of the systemic illness of the oral cavity. Hence, it is essential to know the area affected and also the lesions that contribute the most to decrease the QoL and orofacial pain due to lesions in this aspect.
Results
The physical domain followed by the psychological domain is the most affected in the HIV-positive patients. The maximum effect is due to dental caries and periodontitis. Three studies reported that psychological discomfort and orofacial pain was the major issue faced by the patients.
Conclusion
There is a greater need to include quality-based assessment while treating HIV-positive people. Also, not just physical indicators like pain or dental caries, even social indicators like mental and social dimensions of a patient’s life should be included while deciding the treatment approach.