Oral Manifestations and Salivary pH Changes in Children undergoing Antineoplastic Therapy

Abstract

Objective: To identify the oral manifestations and salivary pH before and after chemotherapy in pediatric patients. Material and Methods: The sample consisted of 46 children. It was included children from 2 to 12 years, diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) and they would be subjected to chemotherapy. The first evaluation was performed before chemotherapy and consisted of anamnesis, oral clinical examination and saliva collection to measure the pH. The second evaluation was performed among 10 to 15 days after the start of chemotherapy treatment and consisted of new saliva collection and clinical examination. Results: The results showed that the gender most affected by childhood cancer was male. The predominant age group were children aged 8-12 years. The most frequent oral manifestations were mucositis (35%), xerostomia (26%), toothache and dysphagia (22%). There was also a significant reduction in salivary pH after chemotherapy, p <0.0001, indicating that the average pre and post chemotherapy are different (Δ = 10.6) with statistical significance at the 5% level. Conclusion: Patients with ALL can present any lesion in the oral cavity during or after the start of chemotherapy and undergo changes in the amount of salivary pH. The dentist needs and know the oral manifestations and intervene in the oral health of patients with ALL, contributing and assisting in their treatment.

Evaluation of Oral Mucositis Occurrence in Oncologic Patients under Antineoplastic Therapy Submitted to the Low-Level Laser Coadjuvant Therapy

“…Age has shown to be a risk factor for oral mucositis, with younger individuals presenting this condition more frequently and with higher grades, probably due to the high cell renewal rate [ 23 , 24 , 25 ]. The majority of participants in this study were children between 3 and 6 years of age (39.1%).…”

Communication and swallowing outcomes of children diagnosed with childhood brain tumor or leukemia: A systematic review

“…The majority of studies included focused on children with brain tumor; with seven including children with leukemia. 22,36,39,77,80,83,88 Commonly participation and functioning across environments such as school, home, and in the community. 6,[11][12][13] Children with CBTL are deserving of the opportunity to fully engage in the curriculum and to socialize with friends.…”

“…Most studies (39) were prospective, 10 were retrospective, and one study used retrospective and prospective data.…”

“…Difficulties with swallowing such as inadequate lip closure, chewing, or problems with moving food or liquid from the mouth to the oesophagus are also seen in children diagnosed with CBTL 18,21,22 . While swallowing difficulties are most often reported during cancer treatment, 35,39,40 residual difficulties have also been reported 14,18,21 …”

Economic Burden of Selected Diagnostic Imaging Methods in Oral Cancer

“…The association between early detection and oral cancer prevalence is unclear [7]. Nurses and doctors pay attention more other body parts than the mouth [8].…”