Children Undergoing Chemotherapy: Is It Too Late for Dental Rehabilitation?

Children undergoing cancer therapy encounter a diverse spectrum of oral changes that generally are attributed to immunosuppression and bleeding tendencies caused by the therapeutic agents. Therefore, providing oral health instructions and dental rehabilitation before the initiation of cancer therapy is encouraged. In this article, we discuss the general dental management of pediatric patients with cancer actively undergoing cancer therapy, or for whom it is planned. We also describe the dental rehabilitation performed on a child while he was undergoing chemotherapy for neuroblastoma, using an unconventional approach that varied from the standard management protocol used by King Abdulaziz University Hospital. The importance of close collaboration between the medical and dental teams is highlighted.