From Volume 41, Issue 6, July 2014 | Pages 518-524
Orofacial viral infections may be less common but appear in different clinical forms. Often these infections get initially treated by antibiotics which obviously will have limited or no effect. The authors review the current concepts of orofacial viral infections, causative agents, their classification and clinical manifestations and a basis for treatment.
Patients often present with orofacial infections in general medical and dental practice. These infections may be caused by bacterial, fungal or viral pathogens. Viral infections may manifest in different clinical forms and affect all age groups. The most common viral infection affecting the orofacial region is caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). Infection from a virus follows a different aetiopathogenic pathway compared with bacteria, fungi and other organisms, as a virus metabolism is dependent on host cells. In general, most of the viral infections of the orofacial region are self-limiting in an otherwise healthy individual, whilst compromised individuals may present with a myriad of local and systemic complications of viral infections.
General dental practitioners should be aware of the wide range of clinical manifestations of viral infections, which may affect the orofacial region as a localized disease or a manifestation of a systemic viral infection, such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease. The aim of this short review is to provide a state-of-the-art, concise account of orofacial viral infections of humans and their management.
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