THE EFFECTS OF CHEMORADIATION THERAPY FOR NEUROBLASTOMA ON DENTAL CARIES ACTIVITY

Lee, Ji-Hyun; Park, Ki-Tae; Sung, Ki-Woong; Kim, Ji-Yeon

Journal of the Korean Academy of Pediatric Dentistry 2010;37(3):352-358.
Published online August 31, 2010.

THE EFFECTS OF CHEMORADIATION THERAPY FOR NEUROBLASTOMA ON DENTAL CARIES ACTIVITY

Ji-Hyun Lee¹, Ki-Tae Park¹, Ki-Woong Sung², Ji-Yeon Kim¹

¹Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine
²Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine

신경모세포종의 화학 및 방사선요법이 치아우식활성도에 미치는 영향

이지현¹, 박기태¹, 성기웅², 김지연¹

¹성균관대학교 의과대학 삼성서울병원 소아치과
²성균관대학교 의과대학 삼성서울병원 소아청소년과

Correspondence: Ji-Yeon Kim, Tel: 02-3410-6427, Email: jychaee@skku.edu

Received: 7 February 2010 • Accepted: 7 June 2010

Abstract

Chemotherapy or radiotherapy used for the treatment of pediatric cancer may have many adverse effects on the oral cavity. Oral mucositis, reduced salivary flow, oral infection, hypodontia, microdontia, arrested root development, and enamel hypoplasia are common oral complications. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of cancer therapy on dental caries activities. The children who had been treated for neuroblastoma in the department of pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, were included and healthy children served as controls. The salivary flow rate, salivary buffering capacity, and Streptococcus mutans counts of both groups were evaluated using Dentocult^® SM and Dentobuff^® Strip. The dental caries activity related to the age at the start of treatment and the time elapsed since treatment completion were also evaluated. As a result, neuroblastoma patients had significantly lower salivary flow rate than the controls, while there were no significant differences between two groups as for salivary buffering capacity and Streptococcus mutans counts. The dental caries activities related to the age at the start of treatment and the time elapsed since treatment completion were not significantly different.

Key Words: Neuroblastoma, Dental caries activity, Salivary secretion rate, Salivary buffering capacity, Streptococcus mutans