Role of oral medicine in palliative care – A review

Palliative care is an approach which improves the quality of life of terminally ill patients who are not responding to curative treatment. It is a multidimensional approach to provide whole-person comfort care while maintaining optimal function. Specialists trained in oral medicine provide dental and oral health care for patients with medical diseases that affect dental treatment, including patients receiving treatment for cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and infectious diseases. Oral physician can help the patient right from the initial diagnosis of the condition up to the relief of pain in the terminal stages of the diseases to alleviate his discomfort and to live a better life.