Special needs dentistry in multidisciplinary head and neck cancer management - characterizing scope and complexity of patient care.

AIMS: To describe the involvement and need for specialists in special needs dentistry (SND) in the multidisciplinary management of patients and to characterize the complexity of patients with special health care needs. METHODS: Referrals for SND review from the Fiona Stanley Hospital head and neck cancer (HNC) multidisciplinary team between January 1 and December 31, 2019 were screened. Data recorded included demographic information, medical history, dental status, and dental treatment provided prior to HNC management. RESULTS: In total 127 patients were referred to the SND clinic in 2019 of which 89.0% were males and 74.8% were aged 50-79. The mean waiting time for SND review was 19.6 days. On average patients had a decayed, missing, filled tooth (DMFT) score of 20.3. During the study period 407 extractions and 30 restorations were completed. Seventeen patients (13.4%) had all their teeth removed prior to HNC management. The majority of patients (79.6%) were categorized as either moderate or severe complexity. Increasing complexity was seen in older age groups. CONCLUSIONS: Significant oral disease is seen in patients with HNC often requiring extensive dental treatment. Complexity is seen in patients requiring multidisciplinary care however characteristics that constitute complexity are varied given the spectrum encompassing 'special needs'.

Pulmonary Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans infection masquerades as malignancy in a patient with periodontitis.

A 49-year-old man with a 37.5 pack-year smoking history presented with a suspected neoplasm of the right lung following the discovery of a metabolically active mass on positron emission tomography-CT imaging. The patient, who demonstrated poor oral hygiene, had a history of irregular problem-oriented dental visitation. Having excluded malignancy through histologic investigations, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans-a well-established periodontal pathogen-was subsequently cultured from his pulmonary aspirate. The patient was therefore managed with systemic antimicrobials and adjunctive dental extractions to eliminate the likely source of infection, whereafter the mass resolved without complication. This case corroborates previous reports of extraoral isolation of A. actinomycetemcomitans, which may mimic cancer clinically and radiographically. While a definitive causative link between untreated periodontitis and systemic infection remains to be elucidated, such cases present a compelling argument in favour of promoting oral health to prevent systemic disease.

Incidental finding of monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis in the mandible.

A 78-year-old man was referred to the Special Needs Dentistry Clinic for review prior to beginning bisphosphonate treatment as part of the management for his metastatic prostate cancer given the increased risk of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws in this patient cohort. Imaging revealed a well-defined radiolucency in the mandible that was closely associated with a non-vital anterior tooth. The lesion was asymptomatic. Incisional biopsy revealed a low grade B cell lymphoproliferation compatible with a monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (MBL). The patient was subsequently referred to haematology as MBL may develop into chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

Oral management of patients with cancer / Manejo oral de pacientes con cáncer

Abstract The oral management of individuals affected by medical conditions, including those with a current cancer diagnosis, is often complex and as such should be provided by either experienced dentists or dental specialists (e.g. Special Needs Dentists) with adequate training and experience. Patients with cancer need early dental intervention as the cancer itself or its therapy may place them at increased risk of systemic and oral complications. In Colombia, Special Needs Dentistry (SND) has not been formally recognized as a specialty and does not form part of the current dental curricula suggesting a paucity of suitably qualified dentists to provide complex oral care for oncology patients. While it is accepted that general dentists will provide the bulk of care to these individuals, their knowledge base is unclear. This paper aims to improve the knowledge base around complex SND by addressing the oral complications faced by this patient cohort and how to prioritize treatment, together with proposing a simple protocol to streamline coordination of care between the dental, allied health and medical teams, that is, through a multidisciplinary approach. It is important to acknowledge that dentists have a role at all three levels of the multidisciplinary management of cancer patients: pre- treatment evaluation and preparation, oral care during treatment and post-treatment care.

Resumen El manejo oral de las personas afectadas por condiciones médicas, como el cáncer, a menudo es complejo y como tal debe ser proporcionado por dentistas experimentados o especialistas en áreas dentales (por ejemplo, dentistas que atienden necesidades especiales) que cuenten con la formación y la experiencia adecuadas. Los pacientes con cáncer necesitan una intervención dental temprana, ya que el cáncer en sí o su terapia pueden ponerlos en mayor riesgo de complicaciones sistémicas y orales. En Colombia, la Odontología de Necesidades Especiales (ONE) no ha sido reconocida formalmente como una especialidad y no forma parte de los planes de estudios de las escuelas de odontología, lo que indica que hay una escasez de dentistas adecuadamente calificados para proporcionar atención oral compleja para pacientes oncológicos. Si bien se considera que los dentistas generales pueden proporcionar la mayor parte de la atención a estas personas, su base de conocimiento no es clara. Este documento tiene como objetivo mejorar la base de conocimientos en torno a la ONE abordando las complicaciones orales a las que se enfrenta este grupo de pacientes y cómo priorizar el tratamiento, junto con la propuesta de un protocol simple para agilizar la coordinación de la atención entre los equipos médicos, dentales y personal de apoyo, es decir, a través de un enfoque multidisciplinario. Es importante anotar que los dentistas cumplen un papel en los tres niveles del manejo multidisciplinario de los pacientes con cáncer: evaluación y preparación previa al tratamiento, cuidado oral durante el tratamiento y atención postratamiento.