Presenting at the 2025 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Annual Meeting, Michael Kase, DMD, FAAMP, from University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry and the UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, underscored the critical need for oncologists to integrate dental care into cancer treatment protocols and collaborate with dental specialists to prevent serious complications.

Kase emphasized the importance of preventing osteoradionecrosis (ORN) and medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) through pretreatment dental evaluations. Osteoradionecrosis occurs when bone tissue in the jaw dies due to radiation therapy or certain medications used to treat head and neck cancers. Identifying problematic teeth before starting radiation or certain chemotherapies is crucial to manage dental issues before therapy begins, he maintained.

He also stressed the need for appropriate dental referrals for patients undergoing treatments like radiation, stem cell transplantation, or bisphosphonate therapy. Warning that incorrect referrals that can lead to serious complications, Kase highlighted the necessity for referrals to dental professionals with oncology-specific expertise.

Underscoring the critical role of dentistry in treatment of cancer patients, Kase stressed the disciplines most educated in the ability to treat them are the following: maxillofacial prosthodontists, dental oncologists, hospital-based dentists with general practice residency training, and oral surgeons.

To facilitate better communication between oncologists and dentists, Kase also introduced a standardized evaluation form developed at UAB. This form includes essential details such as cancer type, treatment modality, expected adverse effects, and radiation dose distribution. “This tool provides dentists with the necessary context to make informed decisions about patient care,” Kase explained.

Speaking to the shortage of dental specialists trained in oncology care, Kase noted that Alabama has only a couple of clinicians adequately trained to treat oncology patients. He encouraged those in dentistry interested in different facets of care to pursue the field, stressing the urgent need for more experts.

Kase serves on the NCCN Head and Neck Cancer Guidelines Panel which writes guidelines used worldwide to treat head and neck cancer patients.