Comparison of tooth loss between intensity modulated and non-intensity modulated radiotherapy in head and neck cancer patients
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Abstract
Advanced radiotherapy (RT) systems (intensity modulated radiotherapy, IMRT) is widely used to treat head and neck cancer. A combination of radiation and chemotherapy potentially increases toxicity as well as dental complications. Tooth loss was retrospectively assessed using oral cavity, oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal cancer patients. Clinical photographs were used to determine differences between non-intensity modulated RT and IMRT. Subject data were collected pre – post RT from 2000 – 2010. Due to the paucity in the data, only the first two years after RT could not be included in the final analysis. Additionally, risk factors related to tooth loss were explored between treatment groups. While the number of teeth lost in both groups was shown to be similar, statistically there were no between group differences up to two years after RT. Further investigations are necessary to increase the sample size and timeframe after RT treatment to determine the clinical implications of these dental changes.