Complicaciones orales en pacientes sometidos a radioterapia: revisión de literatura.

Objective: To introduces the main concepts in radiobiology, radiotherapy in the oral cavity, and complications associated with them, in order to carry out preventive and curative actions safely by the health professional and team. Method: The review was performed in several databases and journals on the dental care of patients undergoing radiotherapy. Results: Currently, treatment for cancer is carried out through a multidisciplinary approach with different health professionals (including dentists) participating to determine its diagnosis, specific treatment through surgical removal, cytotoxic treatment with chemotherapy and/ or ionizing radiation, and rehabilitation. Radiotherapy produces complications as a reaction between the ionizing radiation and the body: Physical, chemical and biological effects due to interactions between the charged particles and the atoms of the irradiated tissue; in addition, enzymatic reactions take place to repair most of the radioinduced lesions, like damage in the DNA, the main negative or adverse radiobiological effects. In the oral cavity, there are acute reactions such as mucositis, xerostomia and risk of infection, as well as late reactions such as alterations of bone and mucose vascularization, saliva gland damage, cell reduction in connective tissue, and risk of collagen synthesis increase, which results in fibrosis and hypovascular, hypocellular and hypoxic tissues that affect bones because its remodeling capacity is diminished and the risk of infection and osteoradionecrosis is increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]