An audit of oral and dental health regimens practised in the management of oropharyngeal cancer

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to find out what preventive care was offered to patients after radiotherapy, particularly if they were dentate. As the mean age of the population increases and the number of people who retain at least some of their teeth into old age also rises, it is likely that more and more people with a diagnosis of oral cancer will be dentate. The incidence of oropharyngeal cancer has also started to increase recently and is affecting more young and dentate people. 1 It is of paramount importance to provide comprehensive management for these patients, not only to remove the disease and reconstruct the defect, but also to provide the patient with the opportunity of experiencing a good quality of life by having a comfortable mouth after treatment. A questionnaire was sent to all senior fellows of the British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (BAOMS) and the results analyzed. The results of this survey show that improvements could be made if some simple preventive measures were instigated in the early stages of treatment.