01/12/2025
World AIDS Day: The Crucial Role of Oral Pathology in Early HIV Detection & Diagnosis
🌍 World AIDS Day: A Reminder of the Power of Early Detection
World AIDS Day is not only a moment of solidarity with those affeted by HIV/AIDS but also a call to strengthen the systems that allow early diagnosis, timely treatment, and reduction of stigma.
In the healthcare continuum of HIV detection, Oral Pathology remains one of the most crucial yet often under-recognized specialties.
🦷 Oral Pathology & HIV/AIDS: Where the First Signs Often Appear
The oral cavity frequently provides the earliest clinical manifestations of HIV infection. Lesions such as:
Oral candidiasis
Oral hairy leukoplakia
Necrotizing gingivitis
Kaposi’s sarcoma
Recurrent oral ulcers
Severe periodontal disease
…are often early sentinel markers of underlying immunosuppression.
This positions Oral Pathologists as frontline professionals in identifying at-risk individuals and guiding further testing and counselling.
🧬 Role of Oral Pathologists in Screening & Diagnosis of HIV
Oral Pathologists contribute significantly to the HIV care pathway through:
✔️ Clinical recognition of HIV-associated oral lesions
Prompt identification of these lesions often triggers the first suspicion.
✔️ Cytology, biopsy & histopathological confirmation
Microscopic evaluation helps confirm conditions such as KS, candidiasis variants, and various opportunistic infections.
✔️ Oral fluid–based diagnostics
We play a key role in validating, interpreting, and integrating non-invasive oral tests into the diagnostic workflow.
✔️ Counselling & linkage to care
Oral Pathology departments often serve as the bridge between dental clinics and HIV treatment centres.
⚡ Rapid Screening: How It Is Performed in Oral Pathology Settings
Rapid HIV screening has become a cornerstone in early detection, especially before oral & maxillofacial surgeries.
The process includes:
Pre-test counselling – explaining procedure, confidentiality, and implications.
Finger-prick or whole blood-based rapid test – using immunochromatographic technology.
Result within 15–20 minutes.
Post-test counselling – tailored for reactive or non-reactive results.
Immediate referral to ART centers for confirmatory testing & treatment initiation.
This single-visit approach dramatically increases patient compliance and reduces missed diagnoses.
💧 Advancements in Oral Investigations: Saliva, GAC, and ELISA
Oral Pathology departments are now integrating advanced salivary diagnostics, offering non-invasive, patient-friendly HIV screening options.
✔️ GAC (Gingival Crevicular Fluid / Oral Transudate) Tests
These detect HIV antibodies using oral mucosal transudate—highly accurate and ideal for high-anxiety patients or mass screenings.
✔️ Saliva-based ELISA
Modern ELISA kits can utilize saliva to detect HIV-1/2 antibodies with sensitivity and specificity comparable to blood-based tests.
✔️ Point-of-care oral fluid kits (e.g., OraQuick-type models)
Simple, painless, and ideal for outreach, community screening, and surgical screening.
These technologies reinforce the expanding role of Oral Pathology in non-invasive diagnostics.
🏥 Department of Oral Pathology Government Dental College and Hospital Srinagar : A Premier Center with Rare FICTC Facility
The Department of Oral Pathology, Government Dental College & Hospital Srinagar, stands as one of India’s premier Oral Pathology centres with a distinguished commitment to public health and diagnostic excellence.
The department proudly houses an in-house FICTC (Facility for Integrated Counselling & Testing Centre)—
➡️ a rare facility within dental institutions nationwide.
This allows us to:
Conduct on-site rapid HIV screening
Provide professional counselling
Ensure same-day linkage to ART services
Screen all patients undergoing oral & maxillofacial surgeries
Maintain strict confidentiality and quality standards
Our integrated approach has significantly enhanced early detection rates and patient preparedness for surgical procedures.
🙏 Acknowledgment of Key Contributors
The progress of department in this field would not have been possible without the dedication of our committed team members:
Dr. M. Shafi Dar, Associate Professor, Department of Oral Pathology, Government Dental College and Hospital Srinagar
Dr. Owais Gowhar, Consultant Oral Pathologist, Department of Oral Pathology, Government Dental College and Hospital Srinagar
Mr. M. Irfan Khanday, Senior Histopathology Technician, Department of Oral Pathology, Government Dental College and Hospital Srinagar
Mr. Javaid Ahmad, Senior Laboratory Technician, Department of Oral Pathology, Government Dental College and Hospital Srinagar
Their tireless work in screening services, counselling, and diagnostic support has strengthened our department’s ability to serve patients with compassion and precision.
🌟 Looking Forward
On this World AIDS Day, we reaffirm our commitment to:
✔️ Early detection through oral diagnostics
✔️ Reducing stigma
✔️ Ensuring timely referral and treatment
✔️ Strengthening salivary and rapid diagnostic technologies
✔️ Integrating Oral Pathology deeply into public health frameworks
The fight against HIV is ongoing—but with awareness, innovation, and teamwork, we continue to move closer to a future where AIDS is no longer a global threat.
se affeted by HIV/AIDS but also a call to strengthen the systems that allow early diagnosis, timely treatment, and reduction of stigma.
In the healthcare continuum of HIV detection, Oral Pathology remains one of the most crucial yet often under-recognized specialties.
🦷 Oral Pathology & HIV/AIDS: Where the First Signs Often Appear
The oral cavity frequently provides the earliest clinical manifestations of HIV infection. Lesions such as:
Oral candidiasis
Oral hairy leukoplakia
Necrotizing gingivitis
Kaposi’s sarcoma
Recurrent oral ulcers
Severe periodontal disease
…are often early sentinel markers of underlying immunosuppression.
This positions Oral Pathologists as frontline professionals in identifying at-risk individuals and guiding further testing and counselling.
🧬 Role of Oral Pathologists in Screening & Diagnosis of HIV
Oral Pathologists contribute significantly to the HIV care pathway through:
✔️ Clinical recognition of HIV-associated oral lesions
Prompt identification of these lesions often triggers the first suspicion.
✔️ Cytology, biopsy & histopathological confirmation
Microscopic evaluation helps confirm conditions such as KS, candidiasis variants, and various opportunistic infections.
✔️ Oral fluid–based diagnostics
We play a key role in validating, interpreting, and integrating non-invasive oral tests into the diagnostic workflow.
✔️ Counselling & linkage to care
Oral Pathology departments often serve as the bridge between dental clinics and HIV treatment centres.
⚡ Rapid Screening: How It Is Performed in Oral Pathology Settings
Rapid HIV screening has become a cornerstone in early detection, especially before oral & maxillofacial surgeries.
The process includes:
Pre-test counselling – explaining procedure, confidentiality, and implications.
Finger-prick or whole blood-based rapid test – using immunochromatographic technology.
Result within 15–20 minutes.
Post-test counselling – tailored for reactive or non-reactive results.
Immediate referral to ART centers for confirmatory testing & treatment initiation.
This single-visit approach dramatically increases patient compliance and reduces missed diagnoses.
💧 Advancements in Oral Investigations: Saliva, GAC, and ELISA
Oral Pathology departments are now integrating advanced salivary diagnostics, offering non-invasive, patient-friendly HIV screening options.
✔️ GAC (Gingival Crevicular Fluid / Oral Transudate) Tests
These detect HIV antibodies using oral mucosal transudate—highly accurate and ideal for high-anxiety patients or mass screenings.
✔️ Saliva-based ELISA
Modern ELISA kits can utilize saliva to detect HIV-1/2 antibodies with sensitivity and specificity comparable to blood-based tests.
✔️ Point-of-care oral fluid kits (e.g., OraQuick-type models)
Simple, painless, and ideal for outreach, community screening, and surgical screening.
These technologies reinforce the expanding role of Oral Pathology in non-invasive diagnostics.
🏥 Department of Oral Pathology Government Dental College and Hospital Srinagar : A Premier Center with Rare FICTC Facility
The Department of Oral Pathology, Government Dental College & Hospital Srinagar, stands as one of India’s premier Oral Pathology centres with a distinguished commitment to public health and diagnostic excellence.
The department proudly houses an in-house FICTC (Facility for Integrated Counselling & Testing Centre)—
➡️ a rare facility within dental institutions nationwide.
This allows us to:
Conduct on-site rapid HIV screening
Provide professional counselling
Ensure same-day linkage to ART services
Screen all patients undergoing oral & maxillofacial surgeries
Maintain strict confidentiality and quality standards
Our integrated approach has significantly enhanced early detection rates and patient preparedness for surgical procedures.
🙏 Acknowledgment of Key Contributors
The progress of department in this field would not have been possible without the dedication of our committed team members:
Dr. M. Shafi Dar, Associate Professor, Department of Oral Pathology, Government Dental College and Hospital Srinagar
Dr. Owais Gowhar, Consultant Oral Pathologist, Department of Oral Pathology, Government Dental College and Hospital Srinagar
Mr. M. Irfan Khanday, Senior Histopathology Technician, Department of Oral Pathology, Government Dental College and Hospital Srinagar
Mr. Javaid Ahmad, Senior Laboratory Technician, Department of Oral Pathology, Government Dental College and Hospital Srinagar
Their tireless work in screening services, counselling, and diagnostic support has strengthened our department’s ability to serve patients with compassion and precision.
🌟 Looking Forward
On this World AIDS Day, we reaffirm our commitment to:
✔️ Early detection through oral diagnostics
✔️ Reducing stigma
✔️ Ensuring timely referral and treatment
✔️ Strengthening salivary and rapid diagnostic technologies
✔️ Integrating Oral Pathology deeply into public health frameworks
The fight against HIV is ongoing—but with awareness, innovation, and teamwork, we continue to move closer to a future where AIDS is no longer a global threat.
