Dental Cleaning to Prevent Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease

This clinical trial evaluates the feasibility and effectiveness of a post-transplant dental cleaning for the prevention of chronic graft versus host disease (GVHD) in patients undergoing an allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT). HCT is the only curative treatment for some types of blood cancer. Unfortunately, this approach can lead to the development of GVHD, which is a disease caused when cells from a donated stem cell graft attack the normal tissue of the transplant patient. Some research has shown that the bacteria that is present in the dental plaque soon after transplant may affect the development of chronic GVHD. Dental cleanings prior to transplant are part of the normal standard of care for patients undergoing HCT. Adding an additional cleaning shortly after HCT may be effective for preventing the development of chronic GVHD.