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Dental Oncology: Meeting the Oral Health Needs of Individuals With Cancer

Cancer and Autoimmune Disorders

 

Presented by: Dennis M. Abbott, D.D.S. 

Original Publication Date: September 26, 2014

 

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 This course is available for CE Credit as a "Members Only" benefit. Not a Member? CLICK HERE to learn more about AAOSH Membership.

Course Description:

"Dental Oncology: Meeting the Oral Health Needs of Individuals with Cancer" is a specialized field of dentistry focused on addressing the oral health challenges and needs of individuals undergoing or undergoing cancer treatment. This area of dentistry is particularly critical because cancer therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiation, can significantly impact oral health.

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify the need for dentistry and oral medicine as essential elements in comprehensive cancer care by introducing some of the most common oral health challenges faced by patients undergoing treatment for cancer.
  • Identify how systemic health can be affected by untreated or under-treated oral conditions in patients with short-term and long-term immunosuppression.
  • Familiarize and recognize some methods for managing common oral issues confronting individuals with cancer and understand how successful treatment and care can impact the quality of life in these patients.

Speaker Bio:

Dennis M. Abbott, D.D.S. is the founder and CEO of Dental Oncology Professionals, an oral medicine practice based in Dallas, Texas, dedicated to caring for the unique dental and oral health needs of individuals battling cancer. Dr. Abbott holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Rice University in Houston and is an honor graduate of Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas. After dental school, Dr. Abbott studied immunology, microbiology, and oral medicine at the School of Dental Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo. In addition to private practice, he is a dental oncology medical staff member at Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center and Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. Dr. Abbott also serves as a consultant to the National American Cancer Society in developing oral monitoring guidelines for post-treatment cancer survivors. He previously received the Dentist Scientist Award and the National Research Service Award, both granted by the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Abbott is a guest author for many national dental publications on the subject of dental oncology and is a sought-after lecturer on the topics of dental oncology, oral cancer, the role of oral health in systemic wellness, and antioxidants and oxidative stress in oral health care of patients with cancer.