Asymptomatic shedding of HSV-1 in patients undergoing oral surgical procedures and attending for noninvasive treatment

Oral surgery and stress can trigger and/or increase asymptomatic shedding of herpes simplex virus type‐1 (HSV‐1) into human saliva. In this investigation we examined the frequency of HSV‐1 shedding in 32 patients undergoing an oral surgery procedure compared with 40 control patients attending for noninvasive treatment. Control patients comprised 18 migraine patients and 22 patients with temporomandibular (TMD) joint problems. Nested‐PCR was carried out on oral rinses collected from each patient prior to treatment and 7 days post‐treatment. Fifty‐two of sixty‐one seroposivitive patients were positive for HSV‐1 DNA in one or both oral rinses. The frequencies of HSV‐1 shedding for the oral surgery and control patients were 84.6% and 85.7% respectively. Seropositive patients who started shedding after treatment were significantly higher in oral surgery patients (46.2%) compared to control patients (34.3%). Shedding of HSV‐1 in the oral cavity is not only increased by direct surgical trauma, but also appears to be common in migraine and TMD patients attending for general dental treatment. Thus pain or pain‐induced stress as well as anxiety associated with dental treatment may also be a risk factor for asymptomatic shedding in specific seropositive patients attending for dental treatment.