Oral Health Care Issues in HIV Disease: Developing a Core Curriculum for Primary Care Physicians

Abstract

Background: Given the high occurrence of oral manifestations in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the relative ease in recognizing these manifestations on physical examination, and their potential impact on the health care and quality of life in these patients, it is critical to provide adequate training for primary care physicians in this area.

Methods: Based on a review of the published literature and the consensus of a national panel of primary care physicians and dentists with clinical and research expertise in this area, a core curriculum was developed for primary care physicians regarding oral health care issues in HIV disease.

Results and Conclusions: We describe the process of developing the core curriculum of knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding oral health care issues in HIV disease. The final curriculum is in a format that allows for easy accessibility and is organized in a manner that is clinically relevant for primary care physicians.