Palliative Care Dentistry: A Review
Gaurav Hemnani *
Sharad Pawar Dental College & Hospital, Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed to be University), Sawangi (Meghe), Wardha, India.
Swapnil Mohod
Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Sharad Pawar Dental College & Hospital, Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences (Deemed to be University), Sawangi (Meghe), Wardha, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The palliative team gives warmth of life to the terminally ill patient and takes his/her care in order to maintain their well-being. The oncologists come across various hurdles while treating the problems of oral cavity in such patients. A trained dental professional can give a helping hand in such situations. However, general dental surgeon has minimal amount of knowledge regarding his responsibilities in these treatments. Even, the society is unaware about the potential benefits of a dentist in this area. Adequate learning programs should be included in the undergraduate curriculum and should be educated regarding the same. This review article suggests the forgetting responsibilities of an oral practitioner in palliation and discussing about various goals of palliation and about oral complications in terminally ill patients as well.
Keywords: Oral practitioner quality of life, palliative care, terminal illness