Effects of radiation on the developing dentition and supporting bone.

Underdevelopment of teeth after exposure to radiation has been observed since the early experiments with X rays. Two patients had been irradiated at young ages for embryonal rhabdomyosarcomas. For the patient treated with radiation at age 4 for a lesion in the submandibular area, root development of the mandibular teeth stopped, but the teeth nevertheless erupted. In the patient treated with radiation at age 9 for a tumor in the left cheek, bone apposition in the left side of the mandible failed to continue at the same rate as on the right side. Although new megavoltage radiation machines have reduced the chances of bone complications in adults, developing bone and structures are still significantly affected by radiation.