Abstract:
The incidence of human papilloma virus-induced
oropharyngeal carcinoma is steadily rising globally and the
observation has become widely publicised in recent times.
Human papilloma virus (HPV) is therefore an important
infectious oncogenic agent. The aim of this article is to
highlight the modes of transmission in HPV-related oral and
oropharyngeal lesions whilst explaining the morphological
spectra of benign and malignant disease which are
attributed to low-risk and high-risk subtypes respectively.
These issues as well as the topic of vaccination against
HPV are likely to be the concern of many dental patients.
The oral health care worker is therefore expected to provide
appropriate counselling and education when informing
patients of the potential health risks posed by HPV.
