Few people with HIV infection fall to experience oral lesions during the course of their disease. Oral mucosal and salivary gland manifestations include several that were not seen before the AIDS epidemic, while others are more severe in this population. Oral lesions reflect HIV status and the stage of immunosuppression, are important elements in HIV staging and classification schemes, raise pertinent questions about mucosal aspect of immunosuppression, and provide therapeutic challenges. Their pervasive nature and biological significance emphasise the importance of a careful oral examination as part of the general clinical evaluation.