Bleeding gums due to HIV is one of the common dental problems a person can encounter. For this reason, you have to take bleeding gums seriously. Neglecting the condition will not be beneficial for you. After all, your oral health is an essential aspect of maintaining an excellent overall health condition. In this case, you can go to Digital Dental Implant Institute’s site to receive exceptional dental care. It would be best to look for a dental provider who will treat you more than just a patient.
Dental problems
We cannot be sure what causes our oral health concerns unless we undergo a dental examination. These dental problems can signify other health conditions, which later on can also be life-threatening. Given this point, it only explains that regular dental care is essential. Toothsome’s Sydney-based periodontic clinic can help diagnose what’s wrong and help treat it.
Without it, we will be at such a high risk of developing more oral problems. Additionally, these issues can even affect the other functions of our body due to the potential spread of infection. This article will discuss the four dental problems associated with HIV in particular.
HIV or human immunodeficiency virus attacks a specific type of T cell, which are the CD4 cells. T cells play a vital role so that the body’s immune system can fight any infections. In this case, if you don’t receive any treatment for HIV, it can destroy a lot of CD4 cells.
In effect, your body’s immune system can no longer fight more infections and other diseases. At this point, your HIV can reach its last stage, which is AIDS or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. During this stage, your immune system is at its weakest. Furthermore, infection and cancer can already take over.
The typical way of HIV transmission is through sexual contact or using a contaminated needle or syringe. In the United States, millions of people live with an HIV infection, wherein 1 out of 8 people is unaware that they have the virus.
We will discover how bleeding gums due to HIV and three other dental problems are prone to occur due to this infection. You may see them below.
1. Bleeding gums due to HIV
Bleeding gums can signify HIV. It is one of the common indicators if a person has an HIV infection. However, it is not at all times that HIV is the reason behind it. Assuming you have the infection on your own is not proper. The only way to confirm it is to undergo a test for HIV infection.
Generally speaking, bleeding gums are just one of the dental problems people can experience when they have HIV. You will know about the others as we go along with this article. But before that, you can try watching this video which discusses home remedies for bleeding gums.
2. Dry mouth
A dry mouth can result in an HIV- associated salivary disease. This disease causes swelling in the salivary glands. Additionally, this condition occurs among children living with HIV in particular. On the other hand, HIV treatment can prevent the occurrence of dry mouth.
Meanwhile, if you have a dry mouth, you can also develop bad breath, chewing, and digestion problems or incur high acid levels in your mouth. For this reason, you will be more susceptible to other dental issues, such as tooth decay.
3.Gum disease (Gingivitis)
HIV can also increase the chance of developing gum disease. With gum disease, the gums can become inflamed and painful. Aside from that, they can also bleed after brushing. Gingivitis occurs when there is a formation of plaque and bacteria feed on it.
In this case, HIV treatment can still reverse this condition. Antibiotics and mouthwashes can also help. On the other hand, you can prevent gum disease from occurring in the first place. You only have to brush and floss your teeth regularly.
4. Mouth sores
It is the result of the body’s weakened immune system. Mouth sores can affect a person’s quality of life. Why? Mouth sores can become painful. In effect, you might experience difficulties when you eat. Sores in the inner part of the mouth include canker sores, oral hairy leukoplakia, thrush, and other STIs.
Meanwhile, the sores near the mouth involve oral herpes. These cold sores are typically small. However, they are painful. These lesions on the mouth develop due to herpes virus HSV-1. On the other hand, these lesions usually heal by themselves, taking several weeks.
Treatment for HIV
In actuality, there is no cure for HIV. The option you only have is to control it. Bleeding gums due to HIV and the three other dental problems may have individual treatment options to manage them. As for HIV itself, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) medication is necessary to begin as soon as possible.
This treatment is for individuals with exposure to HIV. The entire course of this medication will take as long as four weeks to become effective. Meanwhile, those who contract HIV will undergo antiretroviral therapy. This therapy involves the intake of antiretroviral medications with continuous monitoring of the virus inside the patient’s body. Additionally, they also have to monitor the count of CD4 cells present.
Coping up with bleeding gums due to HIV and other dental issues
HIV-related dental issues are still treatable. Your dentist is the best person to ask about the treatment. Moreover, you can follow these simple tips to prevent further oral problems from occurring.
- Your dental appointment is essential for your oral health. Visit your dentist regularly.
- Secondly, brush and floss your teeth properly. Please do this at least twice a day for 2 minutes.
- Furthermore, you should take your HIV medicine according to your schedule.
- Be open to your doctor. Tell them about the dental issues you are experiencing. This way, they can recommend treatment options for you.
If you don’t have a regular dentist, asking your physician, relatives, or friends can help you. In the final analysis, we should take care of our oral health. If we continuously neglect it, we can develop severe health conditions in the end. In effect, we will be the ones to suffer as well.
