Radiotherapy complications and preventive measures in oral cancer

Abstract EN

Oral complications of radiotherapy are the result of the deleterious effects of radiation in the head and neck region.

The clinical consequences of radiotherapy include microsites, hypo salivation, taste loss, osteoradionecrosis, radiation caries, and truisms.

Microsites and taste loss are reversible consequences and usually subside early post-irradiation, while hypo salivation is normally irreversible.

Furthermore, the risk of developing radiation caries and osteoradionecrosis is a life-long threat.

All these consequences form a heavy burden for the patients and have a tremendous impact on their quality of life during and after radiotherapy.

In this review, the radiation-induced changes in healthy oral tissues and preventive measures for the resulting clinical consequences are discussed to give understanding of health care givers for better wellbeing of oral cancer patients.