Long-term impact of chemotherapy and radiotherapy on dental health of childhood cancer survivors
Dr. Luisa Bandeira Lopes
The survival rate of pediatric cancer has increased over the past decades. A systematic review of 35 published studies investigated the long-term impact of chemotherapy and radiotherapy on dental health of childhood cancer survivors (CCSs). The studies included 2625 CCSs who underwent chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and 1136 controls without a history of cancer. Compared with the controls, CCSs had significantly increased risk of root development alterations (OR 6.91; 95% CI 3.89-12.29), microdontia (6.18; 2.45-15.56), dental discoloration (5.58; 3.02-10.7), crown-root agenesis (3.50; 1.98-6.16), and enamel hypoplasia (1.95; 1.32-2.88). The authors conclude that these results highlight the importance of dental health care in CCSs.
