Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the perception of taste in HIV-infected patients.
Method: One hundred males and females (11 to 60 years old) were divided into two groups (50 patients infected by HIV and 50 controls) and evaluated for gustatory function.
Results: The results revealed that the mean score in the evaluation of taste was significantly lower in individuals with HIV when compared to controls for both sides of the tongue (p < 0.05). Patients with HIV infection had difficulty recognizing the bitter taste, followed by salty and sweet. When each side of the tongue was evaluated separately and compared, the Wilcoxon test showed that there was no significant difference on the tongue of individuals with HIV. The prevalence of hypogeusia was 20% in individuals with this disease.
Conclusions: Individuals with HIV infection may have a deficit in taste that can affect your general and oral health.
Keywords: HIV-AIDS; hospital dentistry; taste disorders.
© 2016 Special Care Dentistry Association and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.