Maintaining Dental Health

Cancer treatments can affect your entire body, including your teeth and gums. Side effects of treatment may include inflammation of the mucous membranes in the mouth (mucositis), infections, taste changes, dry mouth, pain, tooth decay, gum disease, and sores inside your mouth.

Therefore, good dental health practices are especially important for people living with cancer. Good communication is important, too. Make certain that you inform your dentist about your cancer treatment. You should also inform your oncologist about your dental history and any planned dental work.

As a patient living with cancer, you should:

• Schedule a dental exam and cleaning before cancer treatment begins and periodically during the course of your treatment
• Discuss dental procedures, such as the pulling of teeth or insertion of dental implants, with your oncologist before you start your cancer treatment
• Have your dentist check and adjust removable dentures, if you have them
• Tell your physician about any bleeding of the gums, pain, or unusual feeling in your teeth or gums, or any dental infections

Regular dental hygiene is not that different for people with cancer than it is for people who don't have cancer, but because cancer treatments can affect the teeth and gums, it can be even more important.

If you have cancer, your routine dental hygiene should include:

• Brushing your teeth and tongue after every meal and at bedtime, using a soft toothbrush and gentle stroke
• Gentle flossing once a day to remove plaque (if your gums bleed or hurt, the area that is sore should be avoided, but the other teeth still should be flossed)
• Keeping your mouth moist by rinsing often with water (many medicines cause 'dry mouth' which can lead to decay and other dental problems)
• Avoiding use of mouthwash that contains alcohol

Use a mirror to check your teeth and gums daily for any changes, such as sores or bleeding gums. If you notice a problem or a change, or experience pain in your mouth, teeth, or jaws, report it to both your dentist and oncologist immediately.

 

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