Incidence of osteoradionecrosis of the jaws: A retrospective study of 620 head and neck cancer patients treated by radiotherapy

Background This study aims to assess systemic and local risk factors influencing the development of osteoradionecrosis of the jaws (ORN) and its incidence in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of 620 adult patients following radiation for a head and neck cancer in 2011 or 2012. Results Of the 181 patients who did not require any extraction, the incidence of ORN was 0.5%. Of the 266 patients with 1491 dental extractions (mean 5.5 teeth per patient) performed before radiotherapy, the incidence of ORN was 3.7%. ORN was always observed in extraction sites located in the field of radiation. No dental extractions were done during radiotherapy. Of the 20 patients with 53 dental extractions (mean 2.7 teeth per patient) performed after radiotherapy, 15 teeth were located in the field of radiation. No case of ORN was reported in that group. For edentulous patients, ORN incidence was 1.7%. Conclusion Within the limitations of this study, the incidence of ORN can be minimized with a meticulous pre-radiotherapy dental examination, a comprehensive treatment plan and diligent post-radiotherapy follow-ups conducted by an experienced multidisciplinary team.