Out of 1454 Scanned Records Only 12 Sources Define Dental Care in Advanced Illness
Out of 1454 records screened up to May 5, 2026, only 12 sources explicitly defined the role of dentistry in palliative care. The scoping review, published in Supportive Care in Cancer, reveals that the conceptual basis of the field has relied almost entirely on a single source for more than two decades.
F. Rodríguez-Oria and colleagues conducted the review following Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. They searched MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase from database inception through May 5, 2026. Two independent reviewers screened records and extracted data using a standardized charting form, synthesizing findings with descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis.
Two Decades of Dependence on Wiseman Definition
Eleven out of the 12 included definitions derive directly or indirectly from a foundational definition published by Wiseman in 2000. This reliance means the field’s framework has remained largely unchanged for more than twenty years. Across the literature, two specific terms emerged to describe the practice. “Palliative Care Dentistry” appeared most commonly, showing up in 92 percent of the included sources.
The existing definitions consistently focus on patients with progressive, advanced, or terminal diseases. They emphasize cases where the oral cavity is affected by the underlying illness or its medical treatments, keeping overall quality of life as the principal goal.
Gaps in Interdisciplinary Care and Prevention
The scoping review identified consistent shortcomings in how the scientific literature frames the discipline. None of the 12 definitions explicitly specified care settings or interdisciplinary collaboration. Most sources limited the practical scope of dental practice to management-oriented activities rather than proactive interventions. Only one single definition included prevention as part of the role.
According to the authors, these older definitions fail to reflect contemporary palliative care principles. Modern care requires an emphasis on prevention, interdisciplinary teamwork, patient-centered decision-making, and the management of pre-existing oral conditions before advanced illness progresses.
Consensus Needed for Future Research and Practice
The study concludes that a consensus-based definition is urgently needed to clarify the field and guide future research, education, and clinical practice. Because this research is a scoping review of published definitions rather than a clinical trial, it maps how the profession describes itself rather than measuring the clinical effectiveness of dental treatments in palliative populations.
The findings remain strictly limited to the 12 sources that met the strict inclusion criteria across the four searched databases.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dental Care in Palliative Settings
Which databases did the authors search for the scoping review?
The research team searched MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase from inception to May 5, 2026.
How many records were initially screened before filtering down to 12 sources?
Reviewers screened a total of 1454 records before identifying the 12 sources that met all inclusion criteria.
What is the most frequently used term in the literature for this specialty?
The term “Palliative Care Dentistry” was used most commonly, appearing in 92 percent of the included sources.
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