Repercussões da radioterapia e quimioterapia na cárie dentária de crianças e adolescentes : uma revisão narrativa.

Abstract

This narrative review seeks to evaluate the consequences of antineoplastic treatments, specifically radiotherapy and chemotherapy, on the dental structure of children and adolescents, as well as understanding how carious lesions can affect the quality of life of cancer patients. The databases used were: PubMed, LILACS, SciELO and Google Scholar, selecting texts that included childhood cancer; oncological treatment; adverse effects on teeth; chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Cancer treatment depends on factors such as the patient's age, tumor size, grade, location, stage and metastasis. Treatment modalities include surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which can be used together or alone. In patients with head and neck cancer, complications in the oral cavity due to radiotherapy are widely recognized, such as xerostomia, trismus, mucositis, radiation caries and osteoradionecrosis. In children and adolescents, the most prevalent neoplasms are leukemias, lymphomas and tumors that affect the central nervous system. Therefore, chemotherapy is one of the most used therapeutic modalities in pediatric oncology. However, chemotherapy generates side effects that can be immediate or appear years later. Oral mucositis, being one of the main immediate effects, causes intense pain and for this reason, several studies show that dental and oral hygiene conditions are closely related to the occurrence and severity of oral mucositis. Therefore, preventing or reducing these complications is essential for maintaining oral health and for cancer patients to have a better quality of life. Therefore, monitoring the patient by a dentist is essential before, during and after anticancer treatment.