PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF ORAL MUCOSITES IN PATIENTS SUBMITTED TO CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIOTHERAPY: WHAT DOES THE DENTAL SURGEON NEED TO KNOW? - A LITERATURE REVIEW

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ABSTRACT

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy alone or together are widely used as protocols in the treatment of cancer patients. However, they can induce a type of lesion in the oral cavity called mucositis. This type of injury is one of the most frequent sequelae seen in patients undergoing cancer treatment, being commonly reported due to pain and difficulty in eating. Currently, there are still no specific and effective protocols for its prevention and treatment. The aim of this study is to conduct a literature review, seeking to present oral mucositis, its etiopathogenesis, clinical characteristics and some therapeutic strategies proposed today, emphasizing the importance of the insertion and performance of the dentist in the oncology team. Within the therapeutic modalities studied, low-level laser therapy stands out as an efficient alternative both in the prevention and in the treatment of oral mucositis, where it presents itself as a low-cost, non-traumatic treatment with excellent described results. in literature.

KEYWORDS: Dental Surgeon. Mucositis. Chemotherapy. Radiotherapy.