title: "Cancer patients and health care professionals perceptions of the need for oral health education".
abstract: Reported studies indicated a need for oral health education for oncology patients. In a recent study it was concluded that septicaemia in immunosuppressed patients was attributed to an oral source in 25-50% of cases (Oral surg Jrnl 1992). "Increased susceptibility to infection accompanies both the cancer disease and treatment. The mouth provides a pool of opportunistic infection which may lead to life-threatening systemic infection in individuals whose immune system is already compromised by disease and/or treatment" (Griffiths and Boyle 1992).
authors.affiliation: Southampton University Hospital NHS Trust.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Dando
mesh_terms: D017742:Dental Care for Chronically Ill; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D004739:England; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D006267:Health Education, Dental; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires