[Dental care of patients with leukemia]

Abstract

Leukemias include a variety of acute and chronic malignant hematological diseases that require antineoplastic chemotherapy. Hematological stem cell transplantation allows an aggressive chemotherapy during which patients suffer from severe immunosuppression. Oral infections may cause serious complications during this immunosuppression. Therefore, professional diagnosis and elimination of oral infection foci must be carried out as early as possible before such treatment. Aggressive chemotherapy causes hyposalivation and as a consequence an increased risk for oral hard and soft tissue diseases. Adequate oral care before, during and after chemotherapy combined with a stem cell transplantation is necessary to prevent oral diseases and systemic complications of oral origin.