Radiotherapy Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Radiotherapy, including details on cancer treatment, side effects.

Dental extractions related to head and neck radiotherapy: ten-year experience of a single institution.

Koga DH, Salvajoli JV, Kowalski LP, Nishimoto IN, Alves FA

Stomatology Department, A.C. Camargo Hospital, São Paulo, Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the frequency of osteoradionecrosis associated with dental extractions. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 405 patients submitted to radiotherapy and had dental extractions were evaluated. The patients were divided into 3 groups. RESULTS: In group 1, 316 patients were submitted to 1.647 dental extractions (mean 5.2 teeth per patient) and in another 47 patients the number of teeth removed was not clearly reported. Group 2 comprised 5 patients who had 33 teeth extracted (mean 6.6 each). In group 3, 55 patients had 290 teeth removed (mean 5.3 each) and in another 2 patients the number of dental extractions could not be established. In general, only 3 cases of osteoradionecrosis related to dental extractions were observed: 2 related to exodontias performed before and 1 after radiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: The low prevalence of osteoradionecrosis found in this work suggests the possibility of performing exodontias after radiotherapy by experienced dentists in the management of head and neck cancer.

Published 29 April 2008 in Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod, 105(5): e1-6.
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