Use of dental X rays on postirradiated patients with head and neck cancer.

As cancer therapy becomes more successful and cancer survival rates increase, the dentist will be treating more patients who have received radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. Occasionally, patients and health professionals have indicated a belief that patients who have received irradiation to the head and neck regions should not be subjected to additional radiation through dental diagnostic X-ray exposures. A literature search failed to find any references that specifically addressed this question. This study reflects the opinions of 278 radiation oncologists (400 surveyed) who responded to questions about contraindications of dental X rays for the patient with head and neck cancer.