Access to dental care--experiences of men with HIV infection in the United Kingdom.

A piloted self-complete questionnaire enquiring about dental experiences was administered to a consecutive sample of men with asymptomatic HIV infection attending a dedicated clinic in London. Forty-seven men completed questionnaires. Despite a high level of dental attendance before diagnosis of HIV infection, 60% of the men had not visited a general dental practitioner since diagnosis. Nineteen men had visited a dentist since diagnosis; 15 had been refused or deterred by members of the dental team and 5 had attended without disclosing their HIV status. These data indicate that despite professional guidance to dentists, the perceptions of dentists held by people with HIV and the behaviours of dentists acts as barriers to care. Dedicated dental clinics act as an important safety-net for people with HIV infection.