Anticipation of dental anomalies induced by radiation therapy

Therapeutic irradiation of the head and neck of children up to the age of 16 years can cause malformation and developmental arrest of the permanent teeth. Dental anomalies occurring after irradiation of the palatal tumor in an 8-year-old are described and compared with a normal 8-year-old's developmental sequence to demonstrate that the immature, noncalcified dental structures are most susceptible to radiation injury. The stage of dental development at the time of therapy may be precisely determined by a routine oral radiographic survey, which provides a reliable estimate of the deformation that may be anticipated following radiotherapy.