You may be surprised that your dentist is important in your cancer treatment. If you go to the dentist before chemotherapy begins, you can help prevent serious mouth problems. Side effects often happen because a person's mouth is not healthy before chemotherapy starts.
To help prevent serious problems, see a dentist at least two weeks before starting chemotherapy.
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.
A dentist will help protect your mouth, teeth, and jaw bones from damage caused by head and neck radiation and chemotherapy. Children also need special protection for their growing teeth and facial bones. Serious side effects in the mouth can delay, or even stop, cancer treatment.
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.
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.
It's important to maintain good oral hygiene during chemotherapy to help reduce infections. Start good oral care habits at home before treatment begins. Your mouth should be as healthy as possible before chemotherapy starts. Most dental treatment should be avoided during chemotherapy.
Special concerns during cancer treatment
Radiation and chemotherapy may trigger more serious dental problems, so keep following the healthy routine you started before treatment. You should also: Rinse more often to ease the effects of dry mouth, which can open the door to tooth decay.
Oral health changes during cancer treatment
Dry mouth – Some cancer treatments can damage the salivary glands, disrupt the flow of saliva or cause dry mouth (xerostomia). In addition to discomfort, xerostomia can lead to infections and tooth decay because saliva helps balance the levels of bacteria in the mouth.
It is important to stay on top of your dental hygiene with regular dental check-ups if you're a patient undergoing cancer treatment. By frequently visiting the dentist, you're helping your mouth to stay as healthy as possible during treatment.
Clean your mouth, tongue, and gums.
Use a fluoride toothpaste. Don't use mouthwashes with alcohol in them. Floss your teeth gently every day. If your gums bleed and hurt, avoid the areas that are bleeding or sore, but keep flossing your other teeth.
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.
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.
The following recommendations are important to follow:
When white blood cells counts are reported by your physician to be low, avoid dental treatment. Avoid dental treatment for about a week after chemotherapy. Inflammation starts with red gums that may bleed.
Many dentists routinely check for mouth and oropharyngeal cancer. So they are often the first people to spot the early signs of cancer. If the dentist suspects cancer they can refer you to a specialist.
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.
Bisphosphonate treatment can cause a rare but serious side effect called “osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ).” ONJ causes part of the jaw bone to die, which can lead to pain, open sores and higher risk of tooth loss and infection.
Dental Treatment Considerations During Active Therapy
Although as stated previously, dental care may optimally be provided prior to starting chemotherapy, dental interventions might also need to be provided during active cancer treatment.
Mouth cancers most commonly begin in the flat, thin cells (squamous cells) that line your lips and the inside of your mouth. Most oral cancers are squamous cell carcinomas. It's not clear what causes the mutations in squamous cells that lead to mouth cancer.
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.
Consult the oncologist about the need for • antibiotic prophylaxis before any dental procedures in patients with central venous catheters. Place the patient on a dental recall schedule when • chemotherapy is completed and all side effects, including immunosuppression, have resolved.
Although chemo effectively kills cancer cells, it may also harm or kill healthy cells. If the chemotherapy medicines harm cells in your mouth such as your teeth, gums, or saliva glands, side effects can include: Painful teeth or gums. Loose teeth in children.
To help prevent dental caries, a prescription-level fluoride toothpaste is a great recommendation, such as Colgate PreviDent 5000 Dry Mouth.
Use a small, soft-bristle toothbrush. If your mouth is too sore for a regular soft toothbrush, you can get a supersoft one from a drugstore. Some examples of these are: Biotene® Supersoft Toothbrush.
This is because radiotherapy makes it more likely that your teeth will decay so it's best to take them out first to avoid problems. Your mouth will also not heal as quickly after radiotherapy. You'll also need to go for check ups at the dentist more often.