12. Dental Care of Cancer Patients

Dental Assessment For Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients

Clinical Case Discussion

Patient Profile and Medical History¹

A 60-year-old male patient has been referred for a dental assessment following a diagnosis of oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC). His planned oncology treatment includes surgery and radiation therapy.

• Medical History: Significant for depression.
• Social History:
  • Currently unemployed and lives alone.
  • Long-term smoker (30 years, 25 cigarettes per day).
  • High alcohol consumption (6–8 stubbies per day).
• Dental History:
  • No regular dentist; attends appointments only on an as-needed basis.

Patient History And Diagnosis

The patient is scheduled to receive a radiation dose of 66Gy. The irradiated field is planned to include all molars and premolars.

How would you manage this patient?

What are the steps for treatment

1. First most importnat thing is knowing the radiation field and dose
   1. Radiation field is molars and premolars
   • Full clearance is recommended, because patient won’t take care of teeth instead of coming in with a fully carious mouth later!
   • Give him 6 months from that day that radiation finishes

Footnotes

1. Original PDF page 2: 12. Dental care of cancer patients, p.2 ↩