Periodontal care in patients undergoing radiotherapy for head and neck cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate periodontal changes after periodontal treatment and control in patients with malignant tumors of the upper aerodigestive tract who were submitted to radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy.


METHODS
We included all patients attending the Oncology Clinic of the Federal University of Minas Gerais, School of Dentistry. Clinical periodontal parameters obtained by a single calibrated examiner were evaluated at baseline, 10 days after radiotherapy, and 180 days after radiotherapy. Patients were grouped into healthy or periodontally diseased individuals. All patients received oral hygiene instructions, and the diseased patients received periodontal therapy at baseline. Comparisons between the groups were performed via the McNemar and Wilcoxon tests using SPSS v. 17.0.


RESULTS
A total of 28 patients were examined at baseline, of which 27 were examined 10 days after radiotherapy and 25 were examined 180 days after radiotherapy. The prevalence of periodontal disease at baseline was 67.9 % and did not decrease over time (p = 1.0). There was a significant reduction in probing depth (PD), plaque index (PI), and bleeding on probing between baseline and follow-up, which was not observed in the attachment level (AL).


CONCLUSIONS
Periodontal therapy was effective in reducing PI and improving periodontal status, as evidenced by the decreases in PD and the maintenance of AL.
Department of Restorative Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Avenida Antônio Carlos 6627, Pampulha, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. audreybueno@ig.com.br
Audrey Cristina
AC
Bueno
Raquel Conceição
RC
Ferreira
Flávia Isabela
FI
Barbosa
Bruno Correia
BC
Jham
Cláudia Silami
CS
Magalhães
Allyson Nogueira
AN
Moreira
D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010519:Periodontium / Q000528:radiation effects*