ObjectivesThe theory of at least 2‐week waiting period between tooth extraction and head and neck radiotherapy could reduce osteoradionecrosis remains controversial. Thus, this study examined the theory and associated factors.Materials and MethodsData were retrieved from the National Health Insurance Research Database, Taiwan Cancer Registry Database, and Cause of Death Statistics. We included 24,353 patients with head and neck cancer who received radiotherapy from 2011 to 2017 and were followed up until 2019. The patients were divided into three groups: those undergoing tooth removal 2–8 weeks before radiotherapy, those undergoing tooth removal within 2 weeks before radiotherapy, and others. Confounding factors were clinical information, physical conditions, and risky habits. We used the Cox regression model to assess osteoradionecrosis risk.ResultsNo significant difference in osteoradionecrosis risk was observed between those undergoing tooth extraction within 2 weeks before radiotherapy and the other groups. An irradiation dose of ≥60 Gy, chemotherapy, tumor excision, post‐radiotherapy tooth extraction, mandibulectomy, hyperlipidemia, and oral cavity as the tumor subsite were significantly positively associated with osteoradionecrosis risk.ConclusionA waiting period of ≥2 weeks between tooth extraction and radiotherapy did not significantly reduce osteoradionecrosis risk.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.