Effects of the professional oral care management program on patients with head and neck cancer after radiotherapy: A 12-month follow-up

Background/purpose: Because oral health of patients with head & neck cancer is prone to disease after radiotherapy, effective and long-lasting oral care program is necessary. We aimed to evaluate the effects of the oral care management program, which lasted up to 12 months after radiotherapy for patients with head and neck cancer. Materials and methods: Sixty-eight patients who visited a dental clinic prior to the initiation of radiotherapy were recruited and categorized into either a “healthy” or a “vulnerable” group. The vulnerable group was made of patients with dental caries or periodontal attachment loss. Professional oral hygiene care, including tooth brushing instructions, professional mechanical tooth cleaning, and fluoride varnish application, was conducted once every week for a month during radiotherapy and once every 3 months after radiotherapy. Oral health, including dental caries, plaques, gingival index, and periodontal attachment loss, was examined at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months after radiotherapy. Results: ; Twenty-nine and 16 patients were followed up at 6 and 12 months after radiotherapy, respectively. Oral health indices, such as the number of decayed teeth, amount of plaque, and gingival index, did not significantly change in either group. However, the periodontal pocket depth significantly decreased in both groups at 6 months after baseline, and this decrease continued in the vulnerable group up to 12 months after baseline. Conclusion: Periodic dental visits and professional oral hygiene care during and after radiotherapy were effective in maintaining oral health for over 12 months after radiotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer.