The AIDS epidemic is affecting dentistry in numerous and unanticipated ways. To recognize the epidemic's challenges and consequences, dental professionals must now fully comprehend the dental/medical and legal issues generated by HIV disease. Because pathologic oral conditions are often the first manifestation of HIV infection, dental-care providers are likely to be among the first to recognize symptoms of infection. The ability to recognize such manifestations is key to providing optimal and appropriate dental care, ensuring early medical intervention, and, ultimately, prolonging a patient's life and enhancing its quality. This book offers extensive guidance on the innumerable issues and questions raised by HIV and AIDS in dentistry. It provides not only information on medical assessment, treatment planning, and treatment of patients, but on infection control, dental staff training, modification of dental care, and management of occupational exposures to HIV. It also discusses the disease's epidemiology, transmission, manifestations, and testing and laboratory parameters, and presents the most current information on legal/ethical issues surrounding the dental treatment of HIV patients. This timely and comprehensive book, written by a foremost expert in the field with the aid of distinguished contributors, is a vital resource for dental practitioners everywhere.