What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of adjunctive treatments during tooth extraction in preventing osteoradionecrosis in patients who previously underwent head and neck radiotherapy.
What They Found
Across 29 studies involving 1520 patients, the pooled prevalence of osteoradionecrosis (ORN) was significantly lower with hyperbaric oxygen (4.6%), pentoxifylline-tocopherol (3.4%), and antibiotics (3.8%) compared to no intervention (17.6%). In direct comparisons, hyperbaric oxygen showed lower but not statistically significant odds of developing ORN than control (OR 0.27) and antibiotics (OR 0.57).
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients undergoing tooth extraction after head and neck radiotherapy may benefit from adjunctive treatments like hyperbaric oxygen, pentoxifylline-tocopherol, or antibiotics to reduce the risk of osteoradionecrosis. Considering similar efficacy and accessibility, antibiotics could be a practical and cost-effective option for preventing this complication.
Canadian Relevance
This study did not include any Canadian data or participants.
Study Limitations
The study's conclusions are limited by the heterogeneity of the included studies and the lack of statistically significant differences in direct comparisons between certain adjunctive modalities.