HIV screening in dental settings: Challenges, opportunities, and a call to action

Perceptions of mental health screening and referral to treatment in National Dental-Practice Based Research Network practices: A qualitative study

OBJECTIVES

Dental practices can have additional positive impacts on public health by implementing mental health screening and referral to treatment in dental care workflows. In this study, we examined how dental practices identify and address adult patient mental health concerns, attitudes about implementing mental health screening and referral, and potential barriers and facilitators to treatment.

METHODS

We conducted semi-structured focus groups with 17 dentists, 10 dental hygienists, and 5 dental assistants/office staff in the South-Central region of the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network. Transcribed interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

We identified five main themes from dental practitioners and office staff responses. Practitioners and office staff: (1) discover patient mental health concerns through record review, patient/caregiver disclosure, and patient observation; (2) respond to patients' mental health concerns by making the patient more comfortable, documenting the concern in the patient's chart, and directly addressing the mental health concern; (3) want a systematic process for mental health screening and referral to treatment in their dental office; (4) recognize potential barriers in implementing health screening and referral to treatment processes; (5) desire training on mental health matters. An overarching theme emerged: developing a trusting relationship with patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants noted the importance of implementing systematic procedures for mental health screening and referral to services into dental practices, while also recognizing the potential barriers for integrating such processes. They also expressed a desire for quality training and resources that can support better care for patients with mental health concerns.

Improving Patient Well-Being as a Broader Perspective in Dentistry

Patient well-being encompasses the physical, mental, psychological, and social health of an individual. To adequately treat an individual and increase their quality of life, whole-person, patient-centred care needs to be utilised. This review aims to concisely summarise ways to improve patients' well-being through and in dentistry. Oral health is tied to one's quality of life through oral function, overall health, self-perception, social acceptance, and social interaction. These relationships demonstrate the importance of utilising oral health to increase patient quality of life, unify health professions in patient treatment, use preventative medicine, and empower patients about their health. To do so, the dental profession can increase the scope of practice to provide preventative health screening and education on general health, have more open communication, collaborate with other health care professionals, and have broader consultations. This will allow for better continuity of care and shift the focus of treatment to the whole person instead of a symptom. Whilst there are barriers that need to be resolved and cost feasibility requires more exploration, the potential benefit to patients is apparent.

The influence of antiretroviral therapy on HIV-related oral manifestations

PURPOSE

This review aims to provide primary medical and dental healthcare professionals with the current state of information on the oral manifestations of HIV infection in the era of antiretroviral therapy (ART) advancements.

RESULTS

Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is associated with an increased risk of infectious, neoplastic, and immune-mediated oral complications that are regarded as a major constituent of this global epidemic. HIV-related oral manifestations have been subject to changes in their prevalence with the employment of ART, particularly in this period of enhanced patient accessibility to ART. Available antiretroviral medications (ARVs), the clinical presentation of common HIV-related oral manifestations, and patients and healthcare providers' perceptions are also discussed.

CONCLUSIONS

Screening, diagnosing, and treating patients with HIV/Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has improved drastically since the isolation and characterization of HIV. Oral manifestations have been acknowledged to correlate with treatment responses and disease progression. Healthcare providers should be familiar with HIV-related oral manifestations and comfortable in managing and referring patients with HIV/AIDS, they are also key stakeholders in facilitating the elimination of the stigma associated with the infection.