Oral & Respiratory Diseases – Key Vocabulary

25 vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to HIV/AIDS, oral infections, herpes viruses, opportunistic diseases, and standard infection-control concepts discussed in the lecture.

Oral Manifestation

A sign or symptom of a systemic disease that appears in the mouth.

AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome)

Advanced stage of HIV infection characterized by severe immune suppression.

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)

A blood-borne virus that attacks the immune system and can progress to AIDS.

Opportunistic Infection

An infection caused by organisms that take advantage of a weakened immune system.

Oral Candidiasis (Thrush)

A yeast infection in the mouth caused by Candida species; presents as white patches that can be wiped off, leaving raw tissue.

Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)

A viral family that causes oral and genital lesions; types 1 and 2 are most relevant in dentistry.

Kaposi Sarcoma

A vascular cancer linked to AIDS that can appear as purple or brown lesions in the mouth.

Blood-Borne Disease

An illness transmitted through contact with infected blood or certain body fluids.

Occupational Exposure

Contact with blood or potentially infectious materials that occurs while performing professional duties.

Standard Precautions

Infection-control practices that treat all patients as potentially infectious, requiring consistent protective measures.

Human Herpes Virus 1 (HHV-1)

Virus responsible for most oral cold sores; remains latent and can reactivate.

Cold Sore / Herpes Labialis

A painful, contagious blister on the lips caused by HSV-1.

Vesicle

A small, fluid-filled blister; often seen in active herpes lesions.

Herpetic Whitlow

HSV infection of the fingers, usually from contact with an active oral lesion.

Pseudomembrane

A removable white coating seen in oral candidiasis, revealing red tissue underneath.

Chancre

A painless ulcer of primary syphilis that can appear in the mouth; highly infectious.

Oral Syphilis

Treponema pallidum infection presenting as chancres or mucous patches in the oral cavity.

Oral Gonorrhea

Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection of the oral mucosa; rare but contagious.

Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (Herpangina)

Coxsackievirus infection causing multiple painful mouth vesicles and lesions on hands and feet.

Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV)

Herpesvirus that causes chickenpox (primary) and shingles (reactivation).

Chickenpox

Primary VZV infection producing widespread itchy vesicles; highly contagious.

Shingles

Reactivation of VZV in adults, producing painful unilateral skin and oral lesions.

Bound-Down Tissue

Oral mucosa firmly attached to underlying bone, such as the hard palate; common site for intra-oral herpes lesions.

Aphthous Ulcer (Canker Sore)

A non-viral, painful ulcer on movable oral mucosa; not contagious.

Latent Infection

A dormant state of a virus within the body that can reactivate under certain conditions.