Computerized tomography, stereolithography and dental implants in the rehabilitation of oral cancer patients

Worldwide there are approximately 645,000 new cases of head and neck cancer per year1 and 5-year survival rates have been reported to be around 50%.2 The majority of patients who are successfully treated have significant morbidity and loss of function, which can result in a compromised quality of life post-treatment. Health-related quality of life studies have shown that facial appearance, chewing, speech, swallowing and saliva are all factors considered to be important in terms of quality of life post cancer treatment.3 Multidisciplinary head and neck cancer teams are constantly striving to improve survival rates for patients with oral cancer. With survival rates increasing, cancer treatment needs not only to consider survival and elimination of the tumour but also the overall quality of life post-treatment.3

Specialists in restorative dentistry have now become important members of the multidisciplinary team involved in the management of head and neck cancer patients.4 Specialist restorative dentists will often assess and stabilize the patient's oral health prior to cancer treatment to minimize any oral health problems during and after oncological treatment. They will also be responsible for providing post-operative care for these patients, which may include the provision of a prosthesis in order to restore both function and aesthetics following surgery and/or radiotherapy treatment. This rehabilitation for most patients is vitally important in order to have a better quality of life and social acceptance post-treatment.