Dental clearance timelines before radiation therapy
It is recommended that patients awaiting radiation therapy for head and neck cancer undergo a dental evaluation and receive clearance to help minimize the risk of secondary oral complications.
A study compared the time it took for patients to receive dental clearance through three different means: an in-house dental program at the cancer treatment center, an outside dental practice, or a mix of the two, where patients were seen by an outside dentist and their records were then reviewed by oral medicine specialists at the cancer treatment center.
Mean times between patients’ radiation therapy consultations and dental clearance were 28.6 days for the in-house dental program, 22.6 days for the outside dental practice and 21.4 days for the mixed setup.
“The mixed program, incorporating an oral medicine review of outside evaluations, had the shortest time to clearance, despite greater travel distances, highlighting the value of hybrid models,” the authors said in the study. “Timely dental screenings before [radiation therapy] for [head and neck cancer] are critical to initiate cancer treatment promptly and minimize the risk of developing secondary oral complications. Integrating oral medicine into the [head and neck cancer] care team ensures rapid, specialized dental treatment, optimizing patient outcomes.”
Read more: The Journal of the American Dental Association
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