Dental
Chemotherapy Related Damage
Adverse effects of chemotherapy on the developing dentofacial structures are limited to:
- Direct effects on the developing dentition
- Indirect effects on the oral environment1
Animal studies have shown that the following drugs are associated with dental defects5
- Vincristine
- Cyclophosphamide
- Adriamycin
- Methotrexate
- Daunorubicin
Cyclophosphamide:
- Increasing cumulative exposure to alkylating agents and cyclophosphamide therapy is associated with an increased risk of reporting at least one dental abnormality3
- More prevalent in patients receiving treatment before the age of five3
- Alkylating agents and cyclophosphamide are toxic to dentinogenesis by binding to DNA in the S phase of mitosis, ultimately resulting in early apoptosis10
- The dental effect of cyclophosphamide-induced cell death predominates in primitive mesenchymal cells and preodontoblasts of the pulp9
If chemotherapy is combined with RT, a much lower RT dose is needed to have the same destructive effects1
