Sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll

The human papilloma virus (HPV) is one of the group of viruses that affect the skin and the moist membranes lining your body, for example, the cervix, anus, mouth and throat, and it can be transferred during oral sex. It is becoming an increasing concern among dental professionals as a significant number of patients are presenting with symptoms at advanced stages. Unfortunately, once HPV-induced malignancy has reached an advanced stage there is only an average survival rate of five years. When you consider that the deaths associated with HPV in 2007 were 1,852, and rose to 1,985 in 2010, you can get an idea of how important it is that symptoms are detected earlier – and that’s where you come in.

It is important to look for the symptoms of HPV as part of your regular oral screenings and refer the patient immediately if any potentially malignant legions present. These can be both oral and oropharyngeal, so it’s always worth having a look down the throat as part of your assessment. Things to look out for are white patches that won’t resolve with pressure, red patches and infection of the oral mucosa, which can also be caused by the chewing of Paan. Seventy per cent of HPV presents in areas where saliva pools in the mouth, with only 30 per cent presenting in the surface area of the mouth and there is a rising number of cases in younger age groups, so never rule a lesion out thinking the patient is too young.