How Oral Diseases Shape Daily Life for Kenyan Children Living With HIV
New research highlights the overlooked impact of dental problems on quality of life
Why This Study Matters
Children and adolescents living with HIV (CALHIV) face lifelong challenges related to immunity, medication, and overall health. But one area often overlooked is oral health. Dental problems such as untreated cavities, dry mouth, and ulcers are more common in CALHIV than in their healthy peers yet their impact on daily life is rarely documented.
A new study published in JDR Clinical & Translational Research shines light on this gap by exploring how oral diseases affect the oral health–related quality of life (OHRQoL) of Kenyan CALHIV.
What the Researchers Wanted to Know
The team aimed to answer a simple but important question:
Do oral diseases worsen the daily well-being of children and adolescents living with HIV?
They focused on conditions such as:
Untreated dental caries
Dry mouth (xerostomia)
Enamel hypoplasia
Oral ulcers
And examined how these problems relate to discomfort, functional limitations, emotional impact, and social well-being.
How the Study Was Conducted
The study involved 71 Kenyan children and adolescents with HIV, aged 10 to 20 years, who were part of long-term HIV cohort projects in Nairobi.
Researchers:
Performed oral examinations using WHO standards
Evaluated oral diseases (caries, dry mouth, ulcers, enamel defects)
Measured quality of life using the Parental-Caregiver Perceptions Questionnaire (P-CPQ)
Analyzed associations while adjusting for age, immune status (CD4), and caregiver education
This approach allowed them to isolate how oral diseases alone influence daily life.
Key Findings
1. Oral diseases were highly common
83% had at least one oral disease
66% had untreated dental caries
28% had dry mouth
7% had non-HSV/non-aphthous ulcers
2. Oral diseases significantly worsened quality of life
Children with oral diseases showed poorer scores in overall well-being and across multiple subdomains especially:
Global quality of life
Oral symptoms
Emotional and social well-being
3. Some conditions were especially impactful
Ulcers were linked with the worst overall quality-of-life scores
Dry mouth had the largest impact on global well-being (explaining 31.9% of score variation)
Children with both dry mouth and dental caries had significantly poorer OHRQoL
4. More oral problems = worse well-being
The “burden” score (number of oral conditions) clearly showed a trend:
More conditions → worse OHRQoL
Particularly strong effects on global and symptom-related domains
Why These Findings Matter
This study makes a strong case that oral health is not just a dental issue — it affects daily experiences, emotional health, and overall quality of life for CALHIV.
Since many of these children already attend HIV care clinics regularly, integrating oral health services could:
Improve early detection of dental issues
Monitor ART side effects
Enhance children’s comfort, confidence, and daily functioning
Improve long-term health outcomes
Takeaway
Oral diseases significantly undermine the daily life and well-being of Kenyan children and adolescents living with HIV. The authors urge policymakers and healthcare providers to integrate oral health into routine HIV care programs, which could be efficient, cost-effective, and life-improving.
Reference
Wang Y, Ramos-Gomez F, Kemoli AM, et al. Oral Diseases and Oral Health–Related Quality of Life among Kenyan Children and Adolescents with HIV. JDR Clinical & Translational Research. 2023;8(2):168–177.
DOI: 10.1177/23800844221087951