Impact of radiotherapy dose on dentition breakdown in head and neck cancer patients

The results indicate that there is minimal tooth damage below 30 Gy (salivary gland threshold), a greater than 1:1 increased dose-response between 30 and 60 Gy likely related to salivary gland damage, and a critical threshold of ≥ 60 Gy, which may be linked to direct effects of radiation on tooth structure. These findings suggest that care should be taken during the treatment planning process to limit tooth dose, and when clinically possible to limit tooth dose to less than 60 Gy.