Oral health declines during cancer treatment

Radiation therapy and chemotherapy often cause severe oral problems. In the study, most patients developed oral mucositis (inflammation of the oral mucous membranes), and fewer described their oral health as good during treatment. At the same time, levels of plaque and gingival inflammation remained low throughout the study period and were even lower three months after treatment had ended. Most patients reported high confidence in their own abilities, which may have contributed to maintaining oral hygiene routines despite severe symptoms.

The patient perspective

Even with relatively good oral hygiene, many patients experienced significant discomfort. The findings indicate that patients’ own perceptions of their oral health did not clearly correspond with clinical assessments.

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Niklas Bohm, PhD student at the Institute of Odontology, University of Gothenburg: “Clinical assessments and patient-reported outcomes provide complementary insights into the patient’s condition. Self-rated oral health declined during treatment, while clinical evaluations indicated that good oral hygiene was maintained. Patient-reported oral health during cancer treatment therefore suggests a broader spectrum of symptom burden and functional impairment,” he says.

The importance of professional support

The researchers followed 75 patients before treatment, during therapy, and three months after treatment was completed. Throughout the treatment period, patients received weekly professional oral care, alongside clinical examinations and the patients filled in questionnaires about oral health and their ability to cope with everyday life. The study is published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Oral Health.

The results suggest that good oral hygiene can be maintained even during demanding phases of cancer treatment, but a care model that includes close follow-up and professional support is needed. At the same time, the study highlights the importance of actively asking patients about their own experiences and taking patient-reported outcomes seriously, even when clinical findings appear favourable.

Over time, this knowledge may help inform more individualized oral care strategies and improve support for patients undergoing cancer treatment.

Article: Self-perceived oral health, general self-efficacy, and their relations to oral health conditions in head and neck cancer patients in Sweden – a prospective observational study;