Optimising oral health

According to the Mouth Cancer Foundation, 8,864 people in the UK were diagnosed with mouth cancer last year. The emotional impact for a patient of a head and neck cancer diagnosis can often overshadow the importance of oral care, making it necessary for healthcare professionals to take a leading role in educating and supporting patients.

Importance of oral health in head and neck cancer patients

Poor dental health before cancer treatment can be a significant risk factor for infective complications in head and neck cancer (HANC) patients when undergoing treatment. Optimising oral health is of great importance to any patient about to embark on a course of radiotherapy or combined chemo-radiotherapy (CRT) for the head and neck. Dental management with a plan for teeth extraction with a poor prognosis before treatment begins can often seem like a drastic step and needs to be handled carefully by the dental team.