Description

All dentists are likely to find some of their patients receiving treatment for cancer. These patients will often require urgent dental care before and after cancer treatment. Oral complications from cancer therapy are exacerbated by existing oral/dental disease and poor oral care during cancer therapy. By starting preventive measures before cancer therapy begins, it is possible to reduce the occurrence and dental problems associated with their patients cancer treatment. However, this is an exception rather than the rule. In many instances cancer patients receive no dental assessment or preventive treatment to minimise or avert the known and common oral complications of radiation therapy. This is due, in part, to the lack of resources and recognised local standards of dental care for cancer patients undergoing head and neck radiation. It is also due to the lack of information provided to general dental practitioners and the lack of interest on the part of general dental practitioners in this aspect of dental care. To improve the current situation, a campaign to educate general dental practitioners about the role they could play, in conjunction with the hospital cancer service, in managing to reduce the complications of oral cancer treatment is urgently required. The patients oral care and function is an important contributor to post treatment social adoption and quality of life.