Implications and management of oral diseases in children and adolescents with HIV infection.

The impact of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection on children continues to be felt worldwide. Since 1981, when the first patients with HIV were recognized, to 1996, when it was estimated that more than 14 million men, women and children were infected with the virus, no other infectious disease has had such a strong impact on the medical community. With the advent of better methods of detection and better therapies we are beginning to see HIV-infected children surviving longer, and thus coming under the care of a host of affiliated medical personnel, including dentists. This article will serve as a brief update on pediatric HIV and its impact on the oral health of infected children.