World AIDS Day Celebration-2017

Objective : On “World AIDS Day” 2017 SGT University joined the fight to end the negative impact of HIV and create a healthy world by being a part in the global campaign “End isolation, End stigma End HIV transmission. We have fought HIV. Now, let’s end it.”

As a dentist the AIDS pandemic presents the opportunity to make a major contribution towards protecting the public’s health. This contribution is potentially more important than that made through fluoridation of municipal water supplies, and through the use of topical fluorides and sealants. Organized dentistry can take several steps to limit the spread of infectious diseases including AIDS and Hepatitis-B in the course of delivering dental care. Hence, there is a need to be vigilant about HIV and awareness rising is an important part of that.

About the Speaker: Dr.Susmita Saxena is a graduate of Dr. R. Ahmed Dental College, Kolkata. She did her MDS in Oral Pathology and Microbiology from Govt. Dental College Ahmadabad in 1991. She started her teaching career from SDM Dental College, Dharwad, in 1991 and has been an undergraduate and postgraduate teacher since then. She was the Dean faculty of Dental Sciences in Swami Vivekanand Subharti University Meerut from 2010-2011 and Pro Vice-chancellor of Subharti University Meerut from 2011-2012. She has many National and International publications to her credit and is a reviewer for specialty journals of high repute. She has been invited as guest speaker at many regional and National scientific programmes and has been the examiner of various universities. She has remained subject expert at a number of recruitment boards and is an active life member of the Indian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathologists having remained an Executive committee member of the Association for several years and Vice President of the Association for two years in the recent past. Her field of interest is oral premalignancies and malignancies. Presently she is holding the post of Director Professor and head of the Dept. of Oral Pathology at ESIC Dental College and Hospital, Rohini, New Delhi.

Audience: BDS third year, final year, Interns and Faculty

Brief Report:

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a complex of symptoms and infections caused by the HIV virus as it impacts the immune system. It is an acquired infection, not hereditary. AIDS since its appearance in 1981 has spread to become a major cause of premature death and so far a cure has not yet been found. The diagnosis of HIV/AIDS requires a positive HIV antibody test or evidence of HIV infection and the appearance of some very specific conditions/diseases

Oral lesions have been reported to be early clinical features of HIV infection. These lesions are often indicators of immune suppression and can be used for early testing, diagnosis and management of patients with HIV/AIDS. Oral lesions contribute to patients’ morbidity, affecting the psychological and economic functioning of the individual and community.

The overall prevalence of oral manifestations of HIV infection has changed since the advent of Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART). Oral lesions are multiple and varied, and are occasionally the first sign that patients harbour the virus. Studies have estimated that more than 90% of persons with HIV infection will have at least one oral manifestation during the course of their disease. These lesions may be present in up to 50% of people with HIV infection and in up to 80% of those with a diagnosis of AIDS. In cases where a person’s HIV status is unknown the lesions provide a strong indication of the presence of HIV infection.

The dentist may possibly be the first health care provider to diagnose the condition from a high index of suspicion and results of diagnostic investigations prompted by the head/neck and oral manifestations. Dentists should have a good knowledge of oral lesions in HIV /AIDS and be able to recognize and accurately diagnose such lesions. Early treatment of oral lesions is also necessary to reduce morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected patients. The need to maintain oral health to prevent complications like microbial infections which may be fatal in these patients cannot be over-emphasized. Diagnostic tests place a greater responsibility on the dental practice team as they need to be aware of drug changes, new drugs and appropriate management of such patients.