Effect of Radiotherapy on Oral Microflora of Patients with Head and Neck Malignancies

Globally cancer is a big threat to life of human beings and scientists are researching mechanisms to get rid from this deadly disease. After Human Genome Project now scientists are moving towards the microbiome studies of individuals. The head and neck cancers for which radiotherapy is an effective treatment has resulted in harmful effects of radiation on oral mucosa, dentition, salivary glands, masticatory musculature and most importantly the oral microflora. Basic and clinical data suggest that patientsoral microflora alter after radiotherapy induces diseases like candidasis, dental or radiation caries, mucositis, hyposalivation and xerostomia. The imbalance of natural oral microflora can play an important role in the pathogenesis of head and neck malignancies after radiotherapy. Therefore this review has been written to elaborate the effects of radiation on oral microflora of patients after radiotherapy, so that timely treatment planning and preventive measures are undertaken to avoid complications.