Is there an association between head and neck cancer diagnosis and self-reported dental fear? A dual-center cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Mental distress is highly reported in cancer patients, resulting in anxiety and depression most of the time. Both conditions, in turn, are recognized to be related to dental fear in adults; however, there are no studies on patients suffering from head and neck cancer. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate whether newly diagnosed patients with head and neck cancer are more prone to self-reported dental fear. Material and Methods: This dual-center cross-sectional study was conducted with 25 healthy outpatients and 25 patients with a recent diagnosis of head and neck cancer, all requiring dental care. The patients were informed at the first appointment about their dental therapy planning and the Brazilian Portuguese Version of the Dental Fear Survey (DFS) questionnaire was then applied after appropriate instructions. Results: The DFS total scores did not differ statistically between the groups (Mann-Whitney U test, P = 0,120) but the Cancer Group presented a slightly higher mean score (32.2 ± 10.0) than the Control Group (30.0 ± 14.2). Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, newly diagnosed patients with head and neck cancer and healthy individuals seem to experience similar self-reported dental fear.

Oral health-related quality of life in Brazilian children, adolescents, and young adults undergoing cancer treatment.

Introduction: Cancer is considered a major public health problem worldwide and may have an important impact on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Thus, the present study aimed to assess OHRQoL in Brazilian patients aged 3 to 21 years undergoing cancer treatment. Materials and Methods: In total, 121 patients receiving cancer treatment and 363 healthy individuals (control group) were evaluated. OHRQoL was assessed using an age-specific questionnaire, that is, the Brazilian versions of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS), the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ) 11-14-short version, the CPQ 8-10-short version, and the short-form of Oral Health Impact Profile Questionnaire-14 (OHIP-14). Results: Individuals from the control group who were evaluated by the ECOHIS presented more impact on the OHRQoL regarding the psychological and family function score, as well as those evaluated by CPQ 8-10, who presented more impact in general. However, considering CPQ 11-14, cancer patients had their OHRQoL more affected, as shown in both the total questionnaire score and oral symptoms score. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this Brazilian study, cancer treatment seems to be associated with decreased OHRQoL only in patients aged between 11 and 14 years. However, children without cancer aged between 8 and 10 years seem to experience worse OHRQoL.