Why should dental offices test for infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS or Tuberculoses in the first place?
My opinion is that HIV tests should be offered in every dental practice because the oral cavity is one of the first places that shows signs of HIV infection. You can detect signs of herpes and other sexually transmitted diseases in the mouth as well, and so we look for lesions and other signs or symptoms of the disease. I am currently not aware of other tests that may diagnose diseases other than HIV/AIDS; it would be fantastic if we were able to diagnose everything through the mouth. How does the test work? The test is called OraSure Quick and it tests for antibodies in the blood system. It uses an oral swab, which we take under the upper and lower lips and place in a developing solution directly at the beginning of our dental appointments. The results are available within 20 minutes and we can start with normal treatment immediately after we have done the test. Unfortunately, I often encounter scepticism from some of my colleagues about the comfort level and the way to introduce the
