Disfunção temporomandibular e oncologia pediátrica: avaliação clínica e funcional

Abstract

Childhood cancer patients differ from other children and adolescents in several ways. The exposure to cancer treatment during growth, psychological factors related to the condition, and the disease itself can increase the risk of developing temporomandibular disorders, which may have a significant impact on the quality of life of these patients and can persist into adulthood. The goal of this study was to investigate the presence of temporomandibular disorders in childhood cancer patients. To do that, a cross-sectional study was conducted using surveys and clinical examination of patients aged 3 to 18 years old. Patients were divided into an oncological group, composed of patients with neoplasms undergoing cancer treatment, and a control group. The presence of temporomandibular disorders and their impact on the patients' quality of life were evaluated. 52 consecutive patients were evaluated, 32 in the oncological group and 20 in the control group. Regarding orofacial pain, 5 (16%) of the patients in the oncological group presented with pain, and 1 (5%) patient in the control group (p = 0.387). There was no significant difference in clinical dysfunction between the two groups. A significant difference was found during the survey only regarding the dimension of functional limitation, which was worse in the study group (p = 0.029). The findings of this research reveal that oncological conditions are not directly related to temporomandibular dysfunctions. This topic is still sparsely discussed in the literature, without consensus or definitive results. Xerostomia, dysgeusia, and speech alterations were conditions found in patients that highlighted the importance of the presence of the dentist in the multidisciplinary team and the need for more studies associating dentistry with the systemic condition of patients.