Continuous Dental Support for Oral Cancer Patients: From Early Detection to Complication Prevention and Rehabilitation

Ganiev A. A; Khamrakulov A. S

doi:10.51699/cajmns.v7i4.3363

Authors

Ganiev A. A Associate Professor, Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Tashkent Medical Academy, Doctor of Medical Sciences
Khamrakulov A. S Master's student, "Maxillofacial Surgery" program, Tashkent Medical Academy

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51699/cajmns.v7i4.3363

Keywords:

oral cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, OPMD, oral mucositis, osteoradionecrosis, dental rehabilitation, quality of life

Abstract

Oral cancer remains one of the most significant problems in modern onco-dentistry, as late diagnosis, aggressive combined treatment, and a high incidence of dental complications lead to impaired mastication, speech, swallowing, appearance, and quality of life in patients. This review article aims to briefly summarize key data from the current literature and substantiate the need for continuous dental support of oral cancer patients at all stages — from the identification of oral potentially malignant disorders to the prevention of complications and rehabilitation. Current sources on epidemiology, risk factors, diagnosis, artificial intelligence, dental preparation, oral mucositis, xerostomia, osteoradionecrosis, reconstruction, and prosthetics were analyzed. It is shown that dental care should not be limited to a one-time sanitation before radiation therapy: it should include risk assessment, elimination of chronic trauma and inflammation, preparation for surgery and irradiation, control of mucositis and infections, prevention of radiation caries and osteoradionecrosis, as well as restoration of function after treatment. An integrated model of continuous dental support is proposed, in which the dentist and maxillofacial surgeon are permanent participants in the oncological care pathway.

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