HIV/AIDS patients find needed dental help at Howard Dental

Five years after being diagnosed with HIV, Matthew Bratrsovsky knows what it is like to be stigmatized by those who fear, or look down on, people who have the virus that causes AIDS.

Once, when he had pancreatitis, an ambulance driver who was taking him to a hospital greeted him by saying, "Oh, you're the guy with AIDS."

But Bratrsovsky, 34, wants people to know this: "You are a person, you are not the guy with AIDS."

Bratrsovsky is thankful he can let his guard down at Howard Dental Center, a nonprofit that offers dental services to HIV-positive and AIDS patients.

"I feel like a friend when I come here. You don't feel afraid," he said after an examination by dentist Alfonso Salazar-Celi.

The organization, a Colorado Health Network program that has been in operation since 1994, treated 747 patients — and took 3,700 visits — in fiscal year 2014.

Howard provides a full range of dental services to HIV patients who can't afford private treatment. Their disease and treatment can leave them highly vulnerable to dental problems.

Some have been turned away by dentists who fear treating those with HIV/AIDS. "They believe they are going to be infected," said Salazar-Celi.

Drugs used to treat the infection can cause dry mouth, a condition that leads to gum problems and cavities. Jayson Richardson, 36, who lost 14 teeth to gum disease, came to Howard to be fitted for partial dentures.

Richardson is among the patients who require frequent visits to the dental hygienist for preventive care. "The teeth he still has, we try to keep in good shape," Salazar-Celi said.

When the work can't be done at the center, patients are sent to specialists.

Good oral health fosters a stronger immune system, which is vital for those with HIV/AIDS.

If tooth decay and other bacterial infections that begin in the mouth aren't treated, they can spread into the bloodstream and damage the heart and other organs. People with HIV/AIDS may have compromised immune systems that leave them vulnerable to opportunistic infections.

Patients who lose teeth at an early age also face problems getting nutrients needed to support a healthy weight, said Lili Carrillo, director of oral health care services at Howard.

"It is also an issue of self-esteem," she said.

Howard has a partnership with the University of Colorado, which provides fourth-year dental students to work at the clinic.

The Community College of Denver provides the center with dental hygiene students, who do preventive care, as well as the one full-time hygienist on staff.

"Their students rotate through our office," Carrillo said, "and we help train the dentists of tomorrow."

Source: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_29049355/hiv-aids-patients-find-needed-dental-help-at

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