Although increasing attention has been paid to the use of dental care by HI
V patients, the existing studies do not use probability samples, and no acc
urate population estimates of use can be made from this work. The intent of
the present study was to establish accurate population estimates of the us
e of dental services by patients under medical care. The study, part of the
HIV Cost and Services Utilization Study (HCSUS), created a representative
national probability sample, the first of its kind, of HN-infected adults i
n medical care. Both bivariate and logistic regressions were conducted, wit
h use of dental care in the preceding 6 months as the dependent variable an
d demographic, social, behavioral, and disease characteristics as independe
nt variables. Forty-two percent of the sample had seen a dental health prof
essional in the preceding 6 months. The bivariate logits for use of dental
care show that African-Americans, those whose exposure to HIV was caused by
hemophilia or blood transfusions, persons with less education, and those w
ho were employed were less likely to use dental care (p < 0.05). Sixty-five
percent of those with a usual source of care had used dental care in the p
receding 6 months. Use was greatest among those obtaining dental care from
an AIDS clinic (74%) and lowest among those without a usual source of denta
l care (12%). We conclude that, in spite of the high rate of oral disease i
n persons with HIV, many do not use dental care regularly, and that use var
ies by patient characteristics and availability of a regular source of dent
al care.