Viral Causes Affecting the Oral Mucosa

Bornstein, Michael M.; Yiu, Cynthia K. Y.; Suter, Valerie G. A. (2019). Viral Causes Affecting the Oral Mucosa. In: Neuhaus, Klaus W.; Lussi, Adrian (eds.) Management of Dental Emergencies in Children and Adolescents (pp. 219-232). John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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Introduction
The primary aim of the dental practitioner
when examining children affected by alterations
of the oral mucosa is to make a correct
diagnosis and choose the appropriate treatment
modality. When failing to detect a
mucosal lesion or being unable to obtain a
tentative diagnosis, including potential differential
diagnoses, important diseases might
be overlooked and inappropriate treatment
forms selected (Rioboo‐Crespo et al., 2005).
This is of special relevance for viral infections,
as the sequelae may vary from the
inconsequential to the potentially fatal and
can differ from person to person (Lynch, 2000).
Furthermore, children who have medical risk
factors tend to be affected more frequently
and more severely by viral infections. In
general,
children differ from adults regarding
the effects of viral infections, as they serve as
highly effective incubators for viral replication
and infectious spread (Sällberg, 2009).
This is due to the fact that in the neonate or
child, the specific immunity is still immature.
Furthermore, children tend to exchange
infected fluids more readily than adults
because of a lack of hygiene.
Viral diseases of the oral mucosa and the
perioral region are frequently encountered in
dental practice, but have unfortunately only
received limited research interest (Slots, 2000).
Unlike epidemiological studies on the prevalence
of caries and periodontal disease, studies
on the incidence, various manifestations and
treatement concepts of viral infections in children
are scarce (Rioboo‐Crespo et al., 2005).
Viruses are known to be important ulcerogenic
and tumorigenic agents of the human
mouth, and they either produce symptoms
directly in the oral cavity or are spread during
treatment of the oral cavity, resulting in systemic
manifestations. This chapter will focus
on the most common viral infections in children,
and will also address oral diseases associated
with viruses that might be transmitted
through dental treatments.

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