Posttransplantation
Dental Treatment
Caution should be given relative to oral treatment for transplant patients for
at least the first year posttransplant. Even though hematologic parameters
including complete blood count and differential may be documented as within
normal limits, functional abnormalities may still be present. Patients should
not resume routine dental treatment, including dental scaling and polishing,
until adequate immunologic reconstitution has occurred; this includes recovery
from graft-versus-host disease. The aerosolization of debris and bacteria during the use of ultrasonic or high-speed rotary cutting instruments can put the patient at risk for aspiration pneumonia; additionally, bacteremias often occur as a result of dental treatment and their impact can be noticeable. Appropriate supportive care including antibiotics, immunoglobulin G administration, adjustment of steroid doses, and/or platelet transfusions
should be comprehensively considered prior to invasive oral procedures.
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