Palliative Care Dentistry: Focusing on Quality of Life

Palliative care dentistry is the management of patients with progressive, far-advanced disease for whom the oral cavity has been compromised either by disease or by treatment. The focus of care is on the immediate quality of life. Typically, the palliative care team neglects to include a dentist despite many patients under its care, including those with cancer, exhibiting oral problems such as xerostomia, candidiasis, mucositis, and loss of masticatory function. This article will discuss the oral care of patients with terminal illnesses, many of whom have oral maladies that negatively impact quality of life. Treatment options for these patients will be outlined.