Certain opportunistic oral infections, neoplasms, and diseases of unknown o
rigins occur at higher rates in association with HIV infection and AIDS, ar
e early indicators of HIV infection, and are markers of immune suppression.
This article reviews the clues to identification, diagnosis, and treatment
of conditions that can result in considerable morbidity. Discussion includ
es the two most common lesions, oral candidiasis and oral hairy leukoplakia
, and less common conditions, such as Linear gingival erythema, necrotizing
ulcerative periodontal disease, herpes simplex virus infection, cytomegalo
virus ulceration, human papillomavirus infections, Kaposi's sarcoma, non-Ho
dgkin's lymphoma, recurrent aphthous ulcers, and HIV-associated salivary gl
and disease.