Head and Neck - Disease Awareness

Disease Awareness

Health care workers must exercise caution when performing care procedures on patients. The Universal precautions for health care workers are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are the standard precaution for self-protection.

Severe viral infections that affect the mouth, lips, or the oral cavity include:

• (1) Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Mouth lesions may not be visible, but body fluids are the source of infection.

• (2) Other viral infections may be just as easy to contact and as difficult to cure such as: Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), Herpes Simplex Virus Type I (HSV-1), Herpes Simplex Virus Type II (HSV-2) genital herpes. Either form of the viral infection may present as a lesion on the lips. Direct skin to skin contact may cause infection.

Oral cancer may have a viral link.

• (3) Minor viral infections include: Mumps is a viral infection of the parotid salivary glands. Chicken pox is a viral infection that can spread to the mouth.

• (4) Other diseases include: Gingivitis gum disease, periodontal disease, oral forms of syphilis and gonorrhea. Dental caries or dental cavities. Thrush (Candidiasis) fungal infection. Tonsillitis is an inflammation of the tonsils and may cause a sore throat and fever. In chronic cases tonsillectomy may be required.

• (5) Temporomandibular joint diseases and disorders, commonly called TMJ.

• (6) Autoimmune diseases such as: Crohn's disease of the oral cavity, see reference below.

Careful observation of the oral cavity, teeth and gums may reveal indicators of other medical conditions. For example, a person suffering from the eating disorder, Bulimia nervosa may show signs of excessive tooth and gum erosion.