The Use of Photobiomodulation in The Prevention and Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Oral Mucositis

Authors

1 Assistant Lecturer at Pediatric Dentistry Department, Misr International University, Cairo, Egypt

2 Assistant Professor and Head of the Department of Pedodontics and Oral health, Faculty of Dentistry for Girls,Al-Azhar university, Cairo, Egypt

3 Professor of Pedodontics and oral health, Faculty of Dentistry, Al-Azhar university, Cairo, Egypt.

Abstract

Oral mucositis (OM) is a severe and common complication in cancer patients, characterized by erosive and ulcerative lesions on the oral mucosa. The primary cause of OM is the destruction of oral mucosal epithelial cells and growth suppression resulting from cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The first clinical signs of OM include thinning of the oral tissues, followed by erythema and ulceration, which can lead to several adverse effects, including pain, increased risk of infections, bleeding, difficulty swallowing, and dehydration. These issues can result in impaired nutritional status, delayed treatment sessions, and prolonged hospitalization. Thus, preventing and managing OM is crucial for maintaining the quality of life for cancer patients. Several approaches are available for preventing and managing OM, such as patient education, saline mouth rinses, pain relievers, and photobiomodulation using low-level laser therapy. This literature review aims to provide an update on the use of low-level laser therapy or photobiomodulation for preventing and treating chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis.

Keywords

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics