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Abstract Background. This study was done to determine if pre‐radiotherapy (pre‐RT) dental extractions reduce the risk of osteoradionecrosis (ORN). Methods. Between 1987 and 2004, 413 patients with oropharyngeal carcinomas were treated with definitive RT at the University of Florida. Dentate patients underwent pretreatment dental evaluation. Teeth in the RT field were usually extracted if thought to have poor long‐term prognosis from dental disease. The endpoint was ≥grade 2 ORN using a modified staging system. Patients were excluded for local recurrence, additional RT above the clavicles, or head and neck surgery besides neck dissection. Results. ORN rates were as follows: edentulous, 70 Gy, once‐daily fractionation, or brachytherapy. Conclusion. Pre‐RT extractions do not appear to reduce the risk of ORN. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2007
Chang et al. (Wed,) studied this question.