HEAD AND neck cancer survivors often encounter serious after-effects of radiation, surgery, and chemo.
Head and neck squamous cell cancer, for example, can affect the oral cavity, tongue, throat, voice box, nasal cavity, sinuses, and salivary glands.
In the United States, head and neck cancers were the seventh most common cancer worldwide, accounting for roughly 4.5 percent of all cancer diagnoses and roughly 4.6 percent of cancer deaths each year.
The primary causes are alcohol and tobacco use, including secondhand smoke and smokeless tobacco, and infection with certain strains of human papillomavirus (HPV).
These cancers occur more than twice as often in men as in women. They are more likely to be diagnosed in people over 50, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
In addition to killing cancer cells, radiation to the head and neck can damage salivary glands.
“The loss of saliva is incredibly debilitating, affecting the ability to eat, swallow, and taste,” says Dr. Edward Lahey, chair of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. “Saliva is protective of teeth so people will often get rampant tooth decay and lose teeth despite hypervigilant efforts to maintain oral hygiene.”
Radiation can also cause the bone in the jaw to die, sometimes years after treatment, reports Mary-Russell Roberson of Tufts University.
Dr. Daniel Oreadi, Associate Professor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons receive training beyond dental school to learn how to administer anesthesia and perform surgeries ranging from extracting wisdom teeth to reconstructing damaged and missing tissues. Oreadi completed a residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery at Tufts Dental, followed by a fellowship in head and neck oncologic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville.
Surgeries can be complex and lengthy, especially when they involve repairing or reconstructing soft or hard tissues after removing tumors. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons often operate on teams with otolaryngologists—ear, nose, and throat doctors—on operations lasting anywhere from nine to 12 hours.
For Oreadi, surgery to remove a tumor or rebuild a jawbone is just the first step. “The negative effects of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy can have long-lasting impacts on a patient’s overall health and function,” Oreadi says. “We can do the best job in treating disease, but our job would not be complete and successful until we bring the patient back to function that’s as normal as it can be.”
That includes implants for teeth replacement wherever possible. Loss of teeth can create serious problems with the ability to speak, eat, and even socialize.
***
Dr. Joseph D. Lim, Ed. D., is the former Associate Dean of the College of Dentistry, University of the East; former Dean, College of Dentistry, National University; Past President and Honorary Fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy; Honorary Fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists; Honorary Life Member of the Thai Association of Dental Implantology; and Founding Chairman of the Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515.
***
Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI, graduated Doctor of Dental Medicine, University of the Philippines, College of Dentistry, Manila, 2011; Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management, De la Salle University, Manila, 2002; and Master of Science (MSc.) in Oral Implantology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, 2019. He is an Associate Professor; Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists; and Fellow, Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail limdentalcenter@gmail.com/PN
