Currently, eight types of herpes viruses were isolated, which are wide spread among the population worldwide [1]. Clinical signs of most herpetic infections may be polymorphous, which is associated with the impairment of various organs and systems [2]. Isolation of the DNA of most herpes viruses in the saliva is relevant both for epidemiology (saliva is a vector for the pathogen transmission) and dentistry [3]. One of the most common conditions in dentistry is herpetic stomatitis, caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1. Therefore, application of the effective treatment methods is not only therapeutic measure, but an important link in the prevention of herpetic infection both in patients (reduction of the number of relapses and increase in remission duration) and in medical staff (reduction of viral burden in patient’s saliva ensures low risk of disease transmission during dental procedures) [4].
Study purpose is the assessment of the therapeutic and preventive effect of the complex treatment of chronic herpetic stomatitis caused by herpes simplex virus type 1.
The study included 100 patients with chronic herpetic stomatitis with 3 or more relapses per year, men and women aged from 26 to 70 years. Depending on the conducted treatment, all patients were divided into two groups, matched by gender and age (table 1). Study duration: 2015–2018.
Each group was further divided into three subgroups depending on the severity of the clinical course of the disease:
• Subgroup I — mild degree;
• Subgroup II — moderate degree;
• Subgroup III — severe degree.
The etiology of the disease was determined by polymerase chain reaction studies of scrapes from the affected areas of the oral mucosa, as well as patients’ blood. Herpes simplex virus type 1 was identified in all examined patients.
Before herpetic stomatitis treatment, hygienic measures were performed such as professional oral hygiene, treatment of teeth with decay, grinding of sharp tooth edges and fillings on teeth, correction of removable dentures in the oral cavity.