Periodontal therapy for patients before and after radiotherapy : a review of the literature and topics of interest for clinicians

2018

Background To review and discuss important topics regarding periodontal treatment pre- and post-radiotherapy for head and neck cancer in human patients; to discuss the references for adequate techniques, the appropriate moment for tooth extractions and periodontal management; and to discuss the prevention of osteoradionecrosis. Material and Methods Thirty-nine studies including original studies, randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and reviews were searched in online databases MEDLINE (PubMed) and the Cochrane library. No year of publication restriction was applied. Results Language was restricted to English, and the following Medical Subject Heading terms were used: radiotherapy, radiation th…