Oncology patients have a high incidence of developing oral side effects due to their anti-cancer treatments. Commencing treatments without eliminating active dental disease increases the risk for poor oral health outcomes and potential cancer treatment delays. Stabilizing active dental disease through oncology and dental collaboration reduces the incidence of severe oral manifestations, opioid prescriptions, and hospitalization. Multiple factors influence a cancer patient's barriers to oral care in rural and urban populations. This presentation will discuss the author's study results of oncology nurses' perception of a dental referral. Attendees will consider how a change in the standard of care, removing siloed systems, bridging interprofessional collaborative barriers, and improving oral health literacy for this population's oncology and dental providers could positively impact the patients' oral health outcomes.
Learning Objectives:
At the completion of this session attendees will be able to:
identify common oral manifestations of various cancer treatments, there incidence, and potential severity.
discuss the current process oncology nurses are taking when making a dental referral.
identify populations who are at an increased risk of developing oral manifestions from anti-cancer treatments and who may experience barriers to oral care.
identify possible solutions to improve the oral health literacy for oncology patients' oral healthcare providers.
define siloed systems of care and discuss how reducing these and improving interprofessional collaboration can positively impact the oral health outcomes of this population.
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.jpg "Kimberly A. Pratt, RDH, BSDH, MSAH photo")