[The role of the dentist in the pre- and postoperative treatment of the cancer patient]. / Il ruolo dell'odontoiatra nel trattamento pre- e post-chirurgico del paziente neoplastico.

ABSTRACT

The importance of an early diagnosis in neoplastic pathologies of the oral cavity is now universally recognised and accepted, and dental treatment in this field requires particular care and preparation. Having identified the suspected lesions, it is necessary to eliminate those conditions which might favour the onset of neoplasia in the oral cavity, and then follow the patient during the pre- and post-radiotherapeutic stages. Dentistry is also responsible for following and carrying out the prosthetic recovery of patients undergoing radical jaw surgery, in order to enable them to return to normal day-to-day and working life in esthetic and functional terms.