A systematic review of oral assessment instruments: what can we recommend to practitioners in children's and young people's cancer care?

Background: Observing and recording the signs and symptoms of oral mucositis are an important part of oral care, essential to the prevention and treatment of mucositis. Structured oral assessment enables a more informed and accurate identification of signs and symptoms and will enable early and individualized interventions.

Objective: A United Kingdom-based mouth-care group conducted a systematic review of the published literature through to March 2004 and repeated in 2008.