Prevention and management of oral complications of head and neck cancer treatment

Introduction: Radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy (CT) are therapeutic methods widely used in patients with malignancies in the head and neck regions. However, these therapies are able to induce significant acute and late toxicities to oral structures and surrounding tissues. Objective: To describe the acute and chronic oral complications of RT and CT in head and neck, showing the way the dentist can handle them. Materials and methods: Virtual Health Library (VHL) – Bireme: LILACS, IBECS, MEDLINE and BBO, PubMed, SciELO, Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD), Capes database journals and renowned oral medicine books. The search strategies used included the following words: radiotherapy, chemotherapy, adverse effects and treatment. Thirty-two references were selected between 1990 and 2012 for the development of this study. Results: Both therapies are associated with adverse effects that significantly affect the patients’ quality of life. Their adverse effects are dose-dependent and may occur from the first week of treatment. Among the most important complications are included the oral mucositis, radiodermatitis, hypossialia, hypogeusia, radiation caries, opportunistic infections, developmental abnormalities, osteoradionecrosis and trismus. A preliminary evaluation of the oral health status and the accompanying by the dentist during treatment may act to prevent and reduce the damage to oral tissues. Conclusion: The multidisciplinary treatment, including medical team, dental surgeon, speech therapist, psychologist and nutritionist is the best alternative to minimize or even prevent many complications resulting from physical and psychological anticancer treatment.