Dental treatment considerations in the chemotherapy patient

Cancer patients can suffer oral toxic effects secondary to antineoplastic therapy in the form of radiotherapy and/ or chemotherapy. This risk is conditioned by a range of factors, including the high cell turnover rate of the oral mucosa, the diversity and complexity of the oral microflora, and soft tissue trauma during normal oral function. The present study offers a literature review of the main oral complications secondary to chemotherapy, and describes the different options for dental treatment before, during and after oncological treatment, published in the scientific literature. To this effect a PubMed-Medline® search was made using the following keywords: chemotherapy, cancer therapy, dental management, oral mucositis, neurotoxicity, intravenous bisphosphonates and jaw osteonecrosis. The search was limited to human studies published in the last 10 years in English or Spanish. A total of 50 articles were identified: 17 research papers, 25 reviews, 6 letters to the Editor, and two clinical guides developed by expert committees. The data obtained showed the main oral complications of chemotherapy to be mucositis, neurotoxicity, susceptibility to infections, dental, salivary and taste alterations, and the development of osteonecrosis. Based on the reviewed literature, elective dental treatment can be provided before chemotherapy, with emphasis on the elimination of infectious foci. During chemotherapy, dental treatment should be limited to emergency procedures, while dental treatment of any kind can be prescribed after chemotherapy – with special considerations in the case of patients who have received treatment with intravenous bisphosphonates.