Scope of the Dental Division is to minimize the oral morbidity of cancer patients before, during and after treatment and throughout the patient’s lifetime. Before treatment, all focus of infections inside the oral cavity has to be eliminated by treating existing oral problems. During treatment the aim is to prevent/minimize oral complications and manage side effects. After the cancer treatment, teeth and gums should be kept healthy and any long-term side effects of cancer and its treatment should be managed.
Various activities in this division include pre and post treatment dental checkup of patients with head and neck cancer, counselling regarding oral care during and after treatment, dental prophylaxis, post radiation dental care in the form of fluoride application, odontoplasty, management of trismus and management of osteoradionecrosis.
Post radiation dental care in the form of 2% neutral sodium fluoride gel daily application was introduced by the dental division in the year 1996. We have started professional application of fluoride gel once in three month for the prevention of radiation caries since January 2017. This method is patient friendly and less expensive as the application is done once in three months.
2400 Pre-treatment dental check-up, 35 BMT/Stem cell therapy consultations, 500 Dental Prophylaxis, 3650 Post radiation dental care (2% sodium fluoride gel), 300 professional application of sodium fluoride gel, 60 odontoplasty, 120 Trismus management, and 5 osteoradionecrosis management were done during 2016-17.
The department comprises of one consultant, one dental hygienist and other supporting staffs.
Our future plan is to start Prosthetic rehabilitation service for those patients who had undergone extensive surgical resection for oral cancer.