Dental examinations as an untapped opportunity to provide HIV testing for high-risk individuals

We used data from the 2005 National Health Interview Survey to examine the potential role of dental care in reaching untested individuals at self-reported risk for HIV. An estimated 3.6 million Americans report that they are at significant HIV risk yet have never been HIV tested. Three quarters of these people have seen a dentist within the past 2 years. Dental care offers opportunities to serve atrisk individuals who are otherwise unlikely to be tested or to receive preventive care services.