Oral health needs assessment world-wide in relation to HIV. Themes: oral health needs and inequalities, oral health promotion, co-ordinating research and enhancing dissemination in relation to HIV- a workshop report

OBJECTIVES: Review the meaning of 'health need', consider oral health inequalities and oral health promotion among people with HIV and outline methods to enhance coordination, standardization and dissemination of research efforts.

METHODS: This workshop involved a brief introduction of each topic by an invited speaker followed by participant discussion. Participants were dentists and dental students attending the 7th World Workshop on Oral Health & Disease in AIDS RESULTS: A health need was regarded as a population's ability to benefit from care. Oral health inequalities called for both downstream and upstream health promotion. A community health programme to reach people with HIV infection in the community was described. Despite deploying community health workers to reduce costs, the programme required additional resources for comprehensive implementation. The Indian National AIDS Control Program exemplified coordinated efforts. Knowledge transfer can be achieved via educational, linkage and exchange and organizational interventions. Stakeholder engagement in a combination of all three types of intervention is the most effective.

CONCLUSIONS: The discussion centred on the difficulties of Indian dentists who felt they did not receive sufficient revenue to treat patients with HIV. An opposing view approach treated all patients using universal standards of infection control. Dental regulatory bodies, professional organizations and governments may need to demonstrate leadership and advocacy for the oral health of people with HIV infection.