184 Where There Is No Dentist 2012
Common Problems Caused by HIV
and How to Treat Them
There are many infections that occur in the mouth, such as a cold sore
or gum infection. Most of these infections are not caused by HIV and do
not usually cause serious problems. But all infections are serious when a
person has been infected with HIV because the virus makes the person’s
body weak and unable to fight off infection. Smoking or chewing tobacco
can also make problems in the mouth worse. Many infections for people
with HIV, including mouth infections, can be prevented by taking 480 mg of
cotrimoxazole 2 times a day with lots of water.
The main problems in the mouth
for persons with HIV are:
1. white or yellow patches
2. open sores
3. gum infections
4. cold sores or blisters
5. dark-colored skin patches
6. dry or painful mouth and throat
General treatment
Always remove false or plastic teeth (dentures) before using any of
these treatments.
Most of the problems in this chapter can be helped:
• if the teeth are kept clean by brushing or
using a chewing stick every day, including
false or plastic teeth.
• by rinsing the mouth several times a day
with a simple mouth wash made with salt
and clean water (see page 7).
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