ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the incidence of xerostomia in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndromes (AIDS), clarify the association between AIDS and xerostomia to promote AIDS patients' oral health. Method The oral health conditions of 200 hospitalized AIDS patients were investigated by a self-designed evaluation form. Results Among 200 patients, xerostomia occurred in 113 (56.6%) . Among the xerostomia patients, 32.7% were without brushing habits, 63.7% with long-term medication and 43.1% (31 cases) with mainly antibiotics, antivirals and antifungal drugs. 30 (31.9%) patients with xerostomia were mainly associated with symptoms of oral burning, lips dry and scaly, periodontitis, oral mucosal dryness and tooth loss. Conclusions AIDS could increase the incidence of xerostomia. Some effective measures should be taken to promote patients' oral health, including improving AIDS patients' awareness of oral health, close observation of adverse reactions after treatment,looking for related causes, timely and targeted therapies,early detection and treatment of associated symptoms.