Patients undergoing radiotherapy for head and neck cancer are prone to dental complications. Radiotherapy to the head and neck region causes xerostomia and salivary gland dysfunction which dramatically increases the risk of dental caries and its sequelae. Radiation therapy (RT) also affects the dental hard tissues increasing their susceptibility to demineralization following RT. Postradiation caries is a rapidly progressing and highly destructive type of dental caries. Counseling of the patients before and after radiotherapy can be done to make them aware of the complications of radiotherapy and thus can help in preventing them. This review summarizes the side effects of radiation therapy for head and neck cancer and also the preventive measures and treatment modalities for the same.
