Dental considerations in management of head and neck cancer

It is not so long ago that oral surgeons, working alone, managed all aspects of oral malignancy with no outside help whatsoever. It is now a well-established fact, however, that the successful management of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the aerodigestive tract requires a multispecialty treatment team. Cooperation among these individuals is essential to ensure that the patient will have the best possible chance of favourable outcome. Members of this team should include surgeons, chemotherapists, radiotherapists, dentists, speech pathologists, social workers, nurses, dental hygienists, and nurse oncologists. These individuals, by working together in an organized and systematic way from the time of diagnosis through treatment and rehabilitation, can best guarantee an optimal outlook for patients with this potentially catastrophic disease. It is the purpose of this article to outline the role of the dentist, be he an oral surgeon, general dentist, prosthodontist, or maxillofacial prosthodontist, working as a member of this team in the comprehensive care of these patients.