The role of primary dental care practitioners in the long-term management of patients treated for head and neck cancer.

Patients treated for head and neck cancer may be susceptible to a higher incidence of dental disease due to long-term sequelae of treatment for head and neck cancer. Most patients with head and neck cancer are discharged from a hospital environment and responsibility for long-term dental care is transferred back from the restorative dentistry team to the dentist and dental care professionals in primary care. Treatment of these patients should be undertaken in a supportive environment, taking into account the physical and psychological repercussions of previous treatment.

Malnutrition, nutrition support and dietary intervention: the role of the dietitian supporting patients with head and neck cancer.

Malnutrition is prevalent in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) at diagnosis but can occur at any stage of the treatment pathway. The impact of disease burden and treatment side effects can lead to altered anatomy, compromised quality and quantity of saliva and impaired swallowing function, which can result in deleterious effects on nutritional status. Optimising nutrition status is critical, as malnutrition is adversely associated with treatment tolerance and outcomes, wound healing, morbidity, mortality, quality of life and survival.

Conventional and implant-based mandibular oral rehabilitation for patients with head and neck cancer.

Surgical treatment of head and neck cancer can cause loss of teeth, loss of hard and soft tissues and result in significantly altered anatomy. Prosthodontic rehabilitation for such patients can be challenging, requiring pre-surgical planning at a time-sensitive point in the patient's cancer pathway. Rehabilitative outcomes are optimised by early and collaborative planning at the multidisciplinary team discussion, involving surgeons, oncologists and consultants in restorative dentistry.