You may need to have any decaying teeth removed before starting treatment. There is a higher risk of infection and bleeding if you have dental work during cancer treatment.
Removing teeth before chemotherapy reduces the risk that tooth decay will spread in the mouth and cause cavities to develop. Treating cavities is extremely difficult in cancer patients, so many dentists and oral surgeons recommend extracting the teeth which eliminates the problem.
The most appropriate time to schedule dental treatment during chemotherapy is after patients' blood counts have recovered, usually just prior to their next scheduled round or course of chemotherapy.
Certain anticancer drugs can cause oral pain.
Some patients may have sensitive teeth weeks or months after chemotherapy has ended. Fluoride treatments or toothpaste for sensitive teeth may relieve the discomfort.
Extractions prior to head and neck radiation are often recommended to reduce the risk of osteonecrosis of the jaws after radiation.
Chemotherapy may affect tooth enamel and increase the risk of long-term dental problems. High doses of radiation therapy to the head and neck area may change tooth development. It can also cause gum disease and lower saliva production, causing a dry mouth.
Chemotherapy causes other side effects in children, depending on the child's age. Problems with teeth are the most common. Permanent teeth may be slow to come in and may look different from normal teeth. Teeth may fall out.
For most people the side effects were worst in the first few days after treatment, then they gradually felt better until the next treatment. Some said the effects were worse with each successive treatment. Most side effects don't persist and disappear within a few weeks after the end of treatment.
You should use toothpaste that contains fluoride. You should also floss your teeth daily. If flossing causes bleeding or soreness, you should avoid that area but continue to floss all of your other teeth. You should avoid using alcohol and tobacco products.
Five to 10 days following an initial chemotherapy treatment, inflammation and sores can develop on the tongue, gums and anywhere along the digestive tract. This can lead to discomfort and a loss of taste.
You should also see a dentist as recommended or needed during and after treatment.
All patients who require extraction of teeth in a previously irradiated field should be considered at risk of developing osteoradionecrosis. The traumatic fracture of a maxillary bone or the mandible post-treatment in an accident can also result in severe consequences.
The neuropathy originated from neurotoxicity of anticancer drugs is usually described as a diffuse jaw pain or numbness in orofacial structures. This article reports localized tooth pain as a possible outcome of administrating high dosage chemotherapy drugs particularly in the last cycles of application.
These chemotherapeutic agents are also associated with peripheral neuropathy (tingling and loss of sensation of the fingers and toes), and this phantom tooth pain is actually the neuropathy manifesting in the jaw.
Certain treatments like head and neck radiation and chemotherapy can also cause tooth discoloration. Other factors include medications, genetics, and environmental effects. It can also happen naturally, as with age, the enamel gets worn out and the yellow layer of dentin is revealed.
To help prevent dental caries, a prescription-level fluoride toothpaste is a great recommendation, such as Colgate PreviDent 5000 Dry Mouth.
Chemotherapy can cause fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, bowel issues such as constipation or diarrhoea, hair loss, mouth sores, skin and nail problems.
Cancer patients who have undergone chemotherapy or a radiation treatment may also notice their teeth changing from white to a brownish or yellowish color. Medications such as antibiotics can also affect the color of your teeth and is more prevalent in younger kids.
If there's a metallic taste, sometimes a little sweetener, like maple syrup, can help,” Katz said. “If foods taste too sweet, you can add drops of lemon or lime until that's muted. If it tastes too salty, then ¼ teaspoon of lemon juice can erase that. If it's too bitter, you have to add a little bit of sweet.
Short, planned delays in chemotherapy for good-risk GCT patients (less than or equal to 7 days per cycle) appear to be acceptable since they may prevent serious toxicity in this curable patient population. Delays of longer than 7 days are strongly discouraged except in extraordinary life-threatening circumstances.
One week post-chemo! "They" say that's one of the toughest weeks. The one right after chemo, especially your first round. It's a week of figuring out how your body will respond after the infusions, and it's different for every person.
Chemotherapy can lead to weight gain by: Causing the body to hold on to excess fluid, called edema. Causing fatigue, making it harder to exercise. Increasing nausea that improves by eating more food.
Some chemotherapy drugs, targeted cancer drugs or immunotherapy drugs can make your eyes very dry and sore. They might feel gritty, as though there is something in your eye. This is because the drugs cause a reaction on the inside of your eyelids. Or you may not be making enough tears.
Often referred to as cancer-related cognitive impairment, chemo brain can be marked by severe memory problems, a lack of mental sharpness, and what many people who experience it describe as “mental fog.” The chemotherapy drug cisplatin is commonly linked to chemo brain.