New York dental practice offers HIV testing

New York City dental practice VIP Smiles is now offering HIV testing using the OraQuick Advance rapid HIV antibody test, according to OraSure Technologies, the manufacturer of the test.

VIP Smiles is the first New York-based private dental practice certified and trained to offer the test, which can be administered as a screening test during regular dental exams, according to the company.

Used in a growing number of dental schools and clinics throughout the U.S., the test is the only rapid HIV test to be approved by the FDA for use with oral fluid, according to OraSure.

To administer the test, patients swab their outer gums with the device, then insert the swab into a vial containing a developer solution. The results are delivered within 20 minutes.

"The oral cavity is one of several places where HIV infection is found, so dentists have a unique opportunity to incorporate rapid HIV testing in their daily practice," said Catrise Austin, D.D.S., in a press release. "We're proud to be the first local private dental practice to offer the OraQuick Advance test, and we've partnered with the New York State Department of Health to generate awareness and promote its benefits."

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