The Power of Radiotherapy - Pearls and Pitfalls Singhi Runuk, Post Graduate Student, Vahanwala Sonal, Professor and Guide, Pagare Sandeep, Professor and HOD, Easwaran R, Associate Professor Dept of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Dr. D. Y Patil Dental College and Hospital, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India Online published on 9 September, 2013. Abstract Radiotherapy for head and neck tumors is a viable treatment modality. Radiotherapy, alone or associated with surgery or chemotherapy produces a significant increase in cure rates for many malignancies of the head and neck regions. However, high doses of radiation in large areas, including the oral mucosa, may result in several undesired reactions that manifest during or after the completion of therapy. Oral complications of radiotherapy in the head and neck region are the results of the deleterious effects of radiation on, eg. salivary glands, oral mucosa, bone, dentition, masticatory musculature, and temporomandibular joint. All these consequences form a heavy burden for the patients and have a tremendous impact on their quality of life during and after radiotherapy. A multidisciplinary management is the best alternative to minimize or even such reactions, and the dentist has a fundamental role in this context. This paper offers the dental team an overview of the consequence associated with radiotherapy, as well as a systemic overview of preventing or, managing acute and chronic conditions before and during radiotherapy. Top Keywords Radiation Caries, Mucositis, Osteoradionecrosis, Xerostomia. Top |