HIV Mouth Sores and HIV Tongue: What HIV Can Look Like in the Mouth
HIV mouth sores, thrush that keeps coming back, or white ridges on the sides of the tongue are some of the reasons people end up searching this topic, often late at night and often worried. This page lays out what HIV can and can't look like in the mouth, how those signs differ from everyday canker sores and thrush, and how testing actually works. No judgment here. Questions about HIV are health questions, and we answer them the same way we answer any other.
HIV mouth sores and other mouth signs, such as thrush, white ridged patches on the sides of the tongue (oral hairy leukoplakia), unusual gum disease, or purple patches, can appear when HIV weakens the immune system. None of them proves HIV, and many people with HIV have no mouth signs at all. Only an HIV test can tell. With treatment, most of these problems become uncommon.
Not sure this is what you have? Answer five quick questions in our mouth spot checker. It compares what you see with more than 40 common conditions and tells you how soon to have it looked at.
- What does HIV look like in the mouth?
- HIV mouth sores and other signs, one by one
- Oral hairy leukoplakia
- HIV mouth sores vs. canker sores and ordinary thrush
- What are the first oral signs of HIV?
- Why HIV affects the mouth
- Who diagnoses HIV, and with what tests
- Saliva, kissing, and the dental office
- How long HIV mouth problems last
- Mouth care that helps
- Over-the-counter options
- What a dentist can do
- Dental visit tips if you have HIV
- Preventing mouth problems with HIV
- Children and pregnancy
- Doctor, dentist, or both?
- FAQ
What does HIV look like in the mouth?
Most of the time, it doesn't look like anything. Plenty of people with HIV, especially those on treatment, have perfectly ordinary mouths. When HIV does show up in the mouth, it's usually because the immune system has been weakened enough that common germs get the upper hand. The most common signs are:
- Thrush: creamy white patches that wipe off, or red, sore, smooth areas, on the tongue, palate, or cheeks.
- Oral hairy leukoplakia: white, ridged, slightly fuzzy patches on the sides of the tongue that don't wipe off.
- Gum problems that seem out of proportion: a bright red line along the gums, or gum disease that gets painful and destructive fast.
- Mouth ulcers that are larger, deeper, or slower to heal than typical canker sores.
- Cold sores that are more frequent, bigger, or last longer than usual.
- Warts (HPV) on the lips, gums, or tongue.
- A purple, red, or brown flat or raised patch, usually on the palate or gums, which can be Kaposi sarcoma.
- Dry mouth or swollen salivary glands in front of the ears.
When people search for "what does AIDS look like in the mouth," they're usually picturing the more severe end of this list: heavy thrush, Kaposi sarcoma, and necrotizing gum disease. Those mostly happen when HIV has gone untreated for a long time and the immune system is badly weakened.
HIV mouth sores pictures: thrush
Because thrush is the sign people with HIV see most often, here's what it looks like. These photos show thrush in general. Thrush looks the same whether HIV, antibiotics, dentures, or an inhaler caused it, so a picture alone can't tell you the reason.
We don't have photos we can share for hairy leukoplakia or Kaposi sarcoma, so the map above and the descriptions below show where they appear and what to look for.
HIV mouth sores and other signs, one by one
Thrush (oral candidiasis)
Thrush is a yeast overgrowth and the most common HIV-related mouth problem, including in people on treatment. It comes in a few forms. The white kind wipes off with gauze and leaves a red, sometimes bleeding spot. The red kind shows up as smooth, sore, red patches on the top of the tongue or the palate, and it's easy to miss. Thrush can also crack the corners of the mouth (angular cheilitis). It often burns, dulls taste, or makes swallowing uncomfortable. Our oral thrush guide covers the wipe test and treatment in detail.
Oral hairy leukoplakia
White, corrugated patches along the sides of the tongue, caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. It usually doesn't hurt. There's more on it in its own section below.
Gum disease that behaves differently
Two gum patterns are linked to a weakened immune system. One is a bright red band, about 2 to 3 mm wide, running along the gum line, sometimes with small red dots on the gums above it. The other is necrotizing gum disease: painful, bleeding gums, punched-out gum tips between the teeth, a gray film, and very bad breath. That second one can destroy gum and bone quickly and needs care within a day or two. Our page on trench mouth explains it. Ordinary gingivitis is still far more common, in people with or without HIV.
HIV mouth ulcers
People with HIV can get the same small canker sores as anyone else. What stands out are ulcers that are unusually large (over 1 cm), deep, very painful, or still there after two or three weeks. These need a proper look, and sometimes a biopsy, because they can be caused by viruses, medicines, or other infections that need specific treatment. Our mouth ulcers page covers the long list of other causes.
Cold sores and herpes inside the mouth
The herpes simplex virus can cause outbreaks that are more frequent, bigger, or slower to heal when the immune system is weak. Sores can show up on the lips, the gums, the palate, or the tongue. Antiviral medicine helps. See our cold sores guide.
Warts and other HIV tongue bumps
Small pink or white bumps, smooth or cauliflower-like, can grow on the lips, gums, palate, or tongue. These are usually caused by low-risk types of HPV. Interestingly, oral warts have become more common in people on long-term HIV treatment, not less. They're benign, but they tend to come back after removal. Our oral papilloma page explains the HPV side. Not every bump is a wart, though. Everyone has normal bumps on the back and sides of the tongue.
Kaposi sarcoma
A flat or raised patch that's purple, red, blue, or brown, most often on the hard palate or the gums. It's a cancer linked to a herpesvirus (HHV-8) and is mainly seen in people with advanced, untreated HIV. It's much less common now than it was in the 1980s and 1990s. A biopsy is the only way to confirm it, and treatment is handled by the HIV and cancer teams. Plenty of dark spots in the mouth are harmless, like amalgam tattoos and natural pigment; our dark spots in the mouth page sorts through them.
Dry mouth and swollen salivary glands
Some people with HIV develop swelling of the salivary glands in front of the ears, or a dry mouth from the virus itself or from medicines. Dry mouth raises the risk of cavities and thrush. Our dry mouth page has practical help.
Medicine side effects
HIV medicines are far easier on the body than older drugs, but a few can cause dry mouth, taste changes, mouth ulcers, or darker patches of pigment in the mouth. Never stop an HIV medicine because of a mouth side effect. Tell your HIV provider and your dentist. There's usually a fix.
Oral hairy leukoplakia: tongue signs and treatment
Oral hairy leukoplakia (OHL) is a white patch, usually on one or both sides of the tongue, with vertical ridges that look a bit like corduroy or, in some cases, short hairs. It's caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, the same virus behind mono, which almost everyone carries. It doesn't wipe off, which is the quickest way to tell it from thrush. It usually doesn't hurt, and it isn't considered precancerous.
Is oral hairy leukoplakia always HIV? No. It's most common in people with HIV, but it also shows up in organ transplant patients, people on immune-suppressing drugs, people using steroid inhalers, and once in a while in people with healthy immune systems. Still, when we see it in someone with no known reason for it, we'll suggest a conversation with a physician about checking the immune system, which includes HIV testing.
Oral hairy leukoplakia treatment is often not needed, since it's harmless. It tends to fade once HIV treatment brings the immune system back up. If it bothers you, a physician can prescribe antiviral medicine or a topical treatment, though it may return later. A biopsy is sometimes done to confirm the diagnosis when the picture isn't clear.
| Oral hairy leukoplakia | Oral leukoplakia | Thrush | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | Sides of the tongue | Anywhere: cheeks, gums, tongue, floor of mouth | Tongue, palate, cheeks, throat |
| Look | White vertical ridges, sometimes fuzzy | Flat or thick white patch, smooth or rough | Creamy white patches, or red smooth areas |
| Wipes off? | No | No | Yes, often leaving a red spot |
| Cause | Epstein-Barr virus with a weakened immune system | Often tobacco or alcohol; sometimes unknown | Candida yeast overgrowth |
| Hurts? | Usually not | Usually not | Often burns or feels sore |
| Precancerous? | No | Can be, so it's biopsied and watched | No |
| Next step | Physician visit, HIV and immune workup | Exam and usually a biopsy | Prescription antifungal |
For more on the precancerous kind, see our leukoplakia page.
HIV mouth sores vs. canker sores and ordinary thrush
Here's the honest version. A single small sore that heals in a week or two is almost always an ordinary canker sore, no matter who has it. The differences show up in size, how long things last, and whether there's a pattern.
| Ordinary canker sore or thrush | Pattern that deserves a closer look | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Canker sores mostly under 5 mm | Ulcers over 1 cm, deep, or several large ones |
| Healing | 7–14 days | Still there after 2–3 weeks |
| Thrush trigger | Obvious reason: antibiotics, inhaler, dentures, dry mouth, babies | No obvious reason, or it keeps coming back after treatment |
| Tongue | Coating that brushes off, or normal bumps | White ridges on the sides that won't wipe off |
| Gums | Mild bleeding with brushing | Bright red band, or sudden painful gum breakdown |
| Other symptoms | None | Weight loss, fevers, night sweats, swollen glands, frequent infections |
Even the right-hand column doesn't mean HIV. Diabetes, medications, blood disorders, nutrition problems, and other immune conditions can produce the same patterns. It just means a physician should help sort it out.
What are the first oral signs of HIV?
There isn't a reliable early mouth sign. According to the CDC, most people get flu-like symptoms 2 to 4 weeks after infection, lasting a few days to several weeks, and some people have no symptoms at all. That early illness can include fever, rash, sore throat, and swollen glands, and some people notice mouth sores during it. But those symptoms look like any number of common viruses.
After that early phase, HIV can go years without causing any symptoms. Mouth signs like thrush or hairy leukoplakia usually appear later, once the immune system has been weakened. So "my mouth looks fine" doesn't rule out HIV, and "I have a sore" doesn't point to it.
Can you tell if someone has HIV by their mouth? No. Not a dentist, not a doctor, not a photo online. The CDC puts it plainly: the only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested.
Why HIV affects the mouth
HIV attacks CD4 cells, a type of white blood cell that helps coordinate the immune system. The mouth is full of yeast, viruses, and bacteria that a healthy immune system keeps in check without you noticing. As CD4 counts drop, those germs get more room. That's why thrush, herpes outbreaks, hairy leukoplakia, and aggressive gum disease show up more often with untreated HIV.
Modern HIV treatment (antiretroviral therapy) has changed this a great deal. When the virus is controlled, the immune system recovers, and thrush, hairy leukoplakia, and Kaposi sarcoma become much less common. Thrush is still the mouth problem seen most often in people with HIV around the world, and oral warts are the one sign that seems to have increased with treatment. Smoking, dry mouth, and skipped doses make mouth problems more likely.
Who diagnoses HIV, and with what tests
A dentist never diagnoses HIV. If we see a pattern that suggests the immune system is under strain, we'll tell you what we see, write it down, treat the mouth problem, and suggest you talk with your physician or a testing clinic. HIV is diagnosed by testing, and a positive result on any rapid or self-test needs a lab test to confirm it.
Who should get tested
The CDC recommends that everyone between ages 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care. People with certain risk factors should be tested at least once a year, and some may benefit from testing every 3 to 6 months. HIV testing is also recommended during each pregnancy. Asking for a test doesn't mean you think you have HIV. It's a routine screening, like checking blood pressure.
Types of HIV tests
- Nucleic acid tests (NAT) look for the virus itself in blood. They can detect HIV soonest.
- Antigen/antibody tests look for antibodies plus a piece of the virus (p24 antigen). The lab version uses blood from a vein. A rapid version uses a finger stick.
- Antibody tests look for antibodies in blood or oral fluid. Most rapid tests and the FDA-approved self-tests are this type.
The window period matters. If you test negative soon after a possible exposure, the CDC advises testing again after the window period for the test you used. Antibody tests using blood from a vein can detect HIV sooner than tests using a finger stick or oral fluid.
The HIV mouth swab test (OraQuick)
The OraQuick In-Home HIV Test is an FDA-approved over-the-counter self-test that uses a swab of oral fluid, and you can read the result in 20 to 40 minutes. Despite the name, it doesn't test saliva for the virus. It checks oral fluid for antibodies to HIV-1 and HIV-2.
How accurate is it? The FDA lists an expected sensitivity of about 92%, which means about 1 in every 12 people who have HIV would get a false negative. Specificity is 99.98%, so false positives are very rare. The FDA also notes that most people (97%) develop detectable antibodies within 3 months of infection, so a negative result taken too soon can miss a recent infection. A positive result always needs a follow-up test with a health care provider to confirm it.
The mouth swab test has nothing to do with mouth sores. A sore in your mouth doesn't make the test more or less accurate, and a dentist doesn't use it to look at lesions.
If you think you were exposed in the last 72 hours
Don't wait for symptoms or for a test to turn positive. The CDC says PEP (post-exposure prevention medicine) must be started within 72 hours of a possible exposure, and sooner is better. Go to an urgent care, an emergency room, or call your health care provider today and ask about PEP.
Saliva, kissing, and the dental office
Can you get HIV from kissing? According to the CDC, you can't get HIV from closed-mouth kissing, and HIV isn't transmitted through saliva. Transmission through open-mouth kissing is very rare and has only happened when both people had sores or bleeding gums. HIV also isn't spread by sharing a drink, hugging, or touching.
The CDC also says that people with HIV who take treatment and keep an undetectable viral load won't pass HIV to partners through sex.
In a dental office, every patient is treated with the same infection-control precautions: gloves, masks, sterilized instruments, and single-use items. That's true whether or not anyone knows a patient's HIV status. Dental care for people with HIV is routine, safe, and ordinary.
How long HIV mouth problems last
It depends on what it is and on how well the immune system is doing.
- Thrush usually clears within one to two weeks of prescription antifungal treatment. If it keeps coming back, that's useful information for your HIV provider.
- Oral hairy leukoplakia often fades over weeks to months once HIV treatment takes effect.
- Large mouth ulcers can last weeks without treatment. With the right diagnosis and medicine, most heal.
- Warts don't usually go away by themselves and can return after removal.
- Kaposi sarcoma needs medical treatment and often improves as the immune system recovers.
Any sore or patch that hasn't healed in two weeks should be checked, for anyone. That's the same rule we use for oral cancer signs.
Mouth care that helps
A healthy mouth makes a real difference in how comfortable you feel, especially if you're newly diagnosed or just starting treatment. These steps help with most HIV mouth sores and thrush, alongside whatever your providers prescribe.
- Brush twice a day with a soft brush and fluoride toothpaste. Be gentle around sore spots, but keep brushing. Plaque makes gum problems worse.
- Clean between your teeth once a day with floss, a water flosser, or small brushes.
- Rinse with warm salt water (½ teaspoon of salt in a cup of water) 3 or 4 times a day when you have sores. Swish and spit.
- Brush your tongue or use a scraper, gently. If a white coating doesn't come off or comes back fast, have it checked.
- Keep your mouth moist. Sip water, chew sugar-free gum with xylitol, and use a humidifier at night if you wake up dry.
- If you wear dentures, take them out at night, clean them daily, and soak them in a denture cleaner. Dentures can hold onto thrush.
- Eat soft, cool foods while sores heal, and skip spicy, acidic, and crunchy foods for a few days.
- Take your HIV medicine as prescribed. It's the single most effective thing you can do for your mouth.
Over-the-counter options
These help with comfort. They don't treat thrush, which needs a prescription antifungal in the US.
| Type | What it does | Things to know |
|---|---|---|
| Numbing gels and liquids (benzocaine, lidocaine) | Short-term pain relief before meals | Do not use benzocaine in children under 2. Use as the label directs. |
| Protective pastes and patches | Cover a sore so food and teeth don't rub it | Dry the area first so they stick. |
| Alcohol-free mouth rinses | Keep the mouth clean without stinging | Skip alcohol-based rinses. They sting and dry the mouth. |
| Saliva substitutes and dry-mouth gels | Ease dryness, especially at night | Use as often as needed. Helpful if your medicines dry your mouth. |
| Fluoride toothpaste and rinses | Protect teeth if your mouth is dry | Ask us whether a prescription-strength fluoride toothpaste makes sense for you. |
| Pain relievers (acetaminophen, ibuprofen) | Overall pain control | Swallow them as the label directs. Check with your HIV provider if you take many medicines. |
What a dentist can do
We treat the mouth, help you stay comfortable, and work alongside the physicians who manage HIV.
- A careful exam. Our comprehensive dental exams include the tongue, cheeks, palate, floor of the mouth, and gums, with photos so changes can be tracked over time.
- Treat thrush with a prescription antifungal such as nystatin rinse, clotrimazole troches, or fluconazole, checking first for interactions with your HIV medicines.
- Treat painful ulcers with prescription rinses or gels, and biopsy any ulcer that doesn't heal or doesn't look typical, or refer you for one.
- Manage gum disease, including urgent care for necrotizing gum disease.
- Remove warts or refer you to an oral surgeon, and send the tissue to a pathologist.
- Protect teeth from dry mouth with fluoride varnish, prescription toothpaste, and practical advice.
- Coordinate with your HIV provider. If we see something that suggests your immune system needs attention, we'll talk with you first and, with your permission, share what we see.
Patients with more complicated medical pictures can learn about our care for medically complex patients. For mouth problems that are hard to pin down, see our page on oral medicine and diagnosis.
Dental visit tips if you have HIV
- Bring a current medication list. Some HIV medicines, especially those boosted with ritonavir or cobicistat, interact with common dental prescriptions, including certain sedatives, antifungals, and antibiotics. Knowing what you take helps us choose safely.
- Share recent lab results if you have them. Your CD4 count and viral load are useful before surgery or extractions. For cleanings and fillings, most people with well-controlled HIV need no special precautions.
- Your information is private. Health information is protected by law, and we don't share it without your permission except as the law allows for your care.
- Come in every 6 months, or more often if we recommend it for gum health or dry mouth.
- Mention new mouth changes to both your dentist and your HIV provider. Mouth signs can be an early hint that a medicine needs adjusting.
Preventing mouth problems with HIV
- Stay on treatment. Keeping the virus suppressed prevents most HIV-related mouth problems.
- Don't smoke. Smoking raises the risk of thrush, gum disease, hairy leukoplakia, and oral cancer.
- Get regular cleanings and exams. Small problems are easier to treat.
- Treat dry mouth so it doesn't lead to cavities and thrush.
- Rinse after using a steroid inhaler, if you use one, to lower thrush risk.
- Ask about the HPV vaccine if you're in the recommended age group. Your physician can tell you whether it fits.
Children and pregnancy
Children with HIV
In children living with HIV, thrush is the most common mouth problem, and gum inflammation is common too. Treatment has made these much less frequent. Kids with HIV benefit from early dental visits, fluoride, and a dentist who coordinates with their pediatric HIV team.
Pregnancy
The CDC recommends HIV testing during each pregnancy, because treatment greatly lowers the chance of passing HIV to the baby. Pregnancy itself can make gums puffy and bleed more easily, which is common and usually not related to HIV. Dental care is safe during pregnancy, and the second trimester is often the most comfortable time for routine work.
Doctor, dentist, or both?
Make a dental appointment if:
- A sore or white or red patch hasn't healed in 2 weeks
- You have thrush that keeps coming back, or white patches that won't wipe off
- Your gums bleed, swell, or have a bright red line along them
- Your mouth is dry or you're suddenly getting cavities
- You've just been diagnosed with HIV and want a baseline exam
Call your physician or a testing clinic if:
- You've never had an HIV test and you're between 13 and 64
- You've had thrush or hairy leukoplakia without an obvious reason
- Mouth problems come with weight loss, fevers, night sweats, swollen glands, or frequent infections
- You have HIV and notice new mouth changes, which can mean your treatment needs a check
Get care today if:
- You think you were exposed to HIV in the last 72 hours (ask about PEP at urgent care or an ER)
- Your gums are suddenly very painful, bleeding, and breaking down, with bad breath or fever
- You have facial swelling, trouble swallowing, or can't drink enough fluids because of mouth pain
HIV mouth sores FAQ
What does HIV look like in the mouth?
Often it doesn't look like anything, especially in people on treatment. When signs appear, the most common is thrush: white patches that wipe off or red, sore areas. Others include white ridges on the sides of the tongue (oral hairy leukoplakia), unusual gum disease, large slow-healing ulcers, frequent cold sores, warts, and purple patches from Kaposi sarcoma. All of these have other causes too.
Can you tell if someone has HIV by their mouth?
No. Mouth signs can raise the question, but they can't answer it. Thrush, ulcers, and gum problems all have many causes, and lots of people with HIV have completely normal mouths. The CDC says the only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested.
What are the first oral signs of HIV?
There's no reliable early mouth sign. The CDC says most people get flu-like symptoms 2 to 4 weeks after infection, and some people have none. Some people notice a sore throat or mouth sores during that early illness, but they look like any common virus. Thrush and hairy leukoplakia usually appear later, after the immune system has been weakened.
Do HIV mouth sores look different from canker sores?
Small sores look the same, and a small sore that heals in 1 to 2 weeks is almost always a regular canker sore. Ulcers linked to a weakened immune system tend to be larger than 1 cm, deeper, more painful, or last longer than two or three weeks. Any sore that hasn't healed in two weeks should be checked by a dentist or physician.
Is oral hairy leukoplakia always a sign of HIV?
No. It's most common in people with HIV, but it also happens in transplant patients, people on immune-suppressing drugs, people using steroid inhalers, and occasionally in healthy people. It's caused by the Epstein-Barr virus and isn't precancerous. If it shows up without a known reason, a physician will usually suggest checking the immune system, including an HIV test.
What does an HIV tongue look like?
People usually mean one of two things. Thrush can coat the tongue white or leave smooth, red, sore patches on top. Oral hairy leukoplakia causes white, ridged patches on the sides of the tongue that don't wipe off. Many ordinary things also turn the tongue white, including a coated tongue from dry mouth, so a white tongue on its own isn't a sign of HIV.
Can you get HIV from kissing?
According to the CDC, you can't get HIV from closed-mouth kissing, and HIV isn't spread through saliva. Transmission through open-mouth kissing is very rare and has only happened when both people had sores or bleeding gums. Sharing drinks, hugging, and touching don't spread HIV.
How accurate is the HIV mouth swab test?
The FDA lists the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test's expected sensitivity at about 92%, meaning about 1 in 12 people who have HIV would get a false negative. False positives are very rare, with 99.98% specificity. A positive result always needs a confirmation test with a health care provider. A negative result soon after an exposure may need to be repeated.
How soon after exposure will an oral HIV test work?
The CDC says antibody tests, which include oral swab tests and most self-tests, can detect HIV about 23 to 90 days after exposure. Blood tests done in a lab can detect it sooner. If you test negative within that window, test again after it ends. If the exposure was within the last 72 hours, ask an urgent care or ER about PEP right away.
Is thrush a sign of HIV?
Usually not. Most thrush comes from antibiotics, steroid inhalers, dentures, dry mouth, diabetes, or infancy. Thrush in an adult with none of those reasons, or thrush that keeps coming back after treatment, is worth a conversation with a physician about checking the immune system. That can include an HIV test.
Do HIV mouth sores go away with treatment?
Most do. Thrush clears with antifungal medicine, and both thrush and hairy leukoplakia become much less common once HIV treatment controls the virus and the immune system recovers. Large ulcers usually heal once the right cause is found and treated. Oral warts are the exception and can keep coming back even on treatment.
What does AIDS look like in the mouth?
AIDS is the most advanced stage of untreated HIV. The mouth can show heavy thrush, sometimes down into the throat, purple or red Kaposi sarcoma patches on the palate or gums, painful and fast-moving gum disease, and large ulcers. These are much less common today because effective HIV treatment keeps most people from ever reaching that stage.
Is it safe to see a dentist if you have HIV?
Yes. Dental care for people with HIV is routine, and most people with well-controlled HIV need no special precautions for cleanings and fillings. Every patient is treated with the same infection-control steps. Bring your medication list, since some HIV medicines interact with dental prescriptions, and share recent lab results before surgery.
Questions about a mouth change?
If you're in the Jacksonville area and something in your mouth isn't healing or keeps coming back, we're glad to take a look, no judgment and no assumptions. Dr. Henley treats patients living with HIV and works with their physicians to keep the mouth healthy and comfortable.
Related conditions
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Getting Tested for HIV. Updated 2026.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How HIV Spreads. Updated 2024.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preventing HIV with PEP. Updated 2024.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Information regarding the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test.
- Khoury ZH, Meeks V. The influence of antiretroviral therapy on HIV-related oral manifestations. J Natl Med Assoc. 2021;113(4):449–456.
- Tappuni AR. The global changing pattern of the oral manifestations of HIV. Oral Dis. 2020;26 Suppl 1:22–27.
This page is for general education and isn't a diagnosis. Every mouth is different. If you have a sore you're worried about, see your dentist or physician. Photos marked Wikimedia Commons are used under their listed licenses and may have been cropped or resized.