Dental considerations for the pediatric oncology patient.

A multidisciplinary management approach is required to provide care to the pediatric cancer patient. This article reviews the oral manifestations of cancer therapy, discusses some issues to be considered by the dentist and summarizes some of the treatment modalities available to the dental practitioner.     

The pediatric dentist as amateur geneticist

This presentation was given by the author as the keynote address to the American Board of Pediatric Dentists College of Diplomates at its annual symposium on May 29, 2004 in San Francisco, Calif.     

Practice management for the fee-for-service pediatric dentist

In conclusion, good practice management in pediatric dentistry is not sporadic or a series of random, uncoordinated activities. Instead, it encompasses the philosophy of the practice, is centered around the patient and is a fluid, consistent management function. It begins with the pediatric dentist as the leader and continues in all phases of daily activity. It is a well-developed and highly functioning system. It results in staff and patient loyalty and high patient satisfaction. The challenge is to make the practice an ongoing, continuously active, evolutionary process for many years to come.     

The medical oncology patient.

Chemotherapy may be either an effective alternative to surgery or a valuable adjunct to surgery and/or radiotherapy in the treatment of cancer. The care of medical oncology patients is a multidisciplinary effort. Oral health care providers can expect to be called on to care for patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Early, active participation in developing preventive and therapeutic strategies, in implementing the plan, and in the education and rehabilitation of patients is paramount in addressing quality of life issues. To provide timely and competent care, oral health care providers must understand the disease, its treatment, and the impact the disease and/or its treatment may have on these patients. Oral health care providers should develop and implement preventive and therapeutic strategies with the same ethical, moral, and professional standards of care as may be appropriate in the management of any other patient.     

The patient with cancer: social and clinical perspectives for the dentist

Dentists can have a significant role in the care of individuals with cancer. They detect and provide treatment for patients with head and neck cancer and routinely provide oral care to patients who have other forms of cancer. This paper addresses the social, clinical, and psychological responses to cancer and considers the patient's understandings of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. The findings in this paper are based on intensive interviews with 42 patients with cancer and family members, sociological participant-observation of oral and maxillofacial rehabilitation of the patient with head and neck cancer in major teaching hospital settings, and a review of the literature. Cancer was associated with an uncertain course and prognosis, made more problematic by imagery, fear, and fatalism. Patient behaviors, including delayed care seeking, are related to understandings of cancer and the social and family interactions that may occur around the disease. Professional role dilemmas, strategies toward informing patients of their cancer, and dealing with death are considered as issues dentists may face in care of the patient with cancer.     

The role of the dentist in the diagnosis and management of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea

The objective of this article is to review the role of the dentist in the early diagnosis of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and to provide an in-depth review of the best evidence-based practices available to treat and/or to refer these patients for intervention.Material and methodsA narrative review was performed using indexed data bases (PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, OVID, Scopus and Cochrane) up to year 2020, and approximately 1000 articles were reviewed. The articles included were those with the best information provided.ResultsDetailed review of the literature suggests that the role of the dentist has been redefined owing to their expertise in the orofacial region. Every patient consulting a dental practice is not merely a dental patient; he/she also requires a comprehensive medical review. The role of the dentist is pivotal in pediatric patients once diagnosed with OSA; as the patients grow, growth modification can be achieved, and future management will be easier. Initiating dental treatments during growth can benefit patients two-fold, saving them from malocclusion, and intervening in orofacial structural growth can help to avoid cumbersome treatments, such as CPAP and various surgeries. Proper diagnosis and management of systemic illnesses can prevent compromised quality of life, delays in treatment, morbidity and, in some cases, mortality.