Cancer patients have a high risk of oral complications. Many cancer treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation, can affect an individual’s dental and oral health. Dental and oral health refers to the well-being of the entire mouth, including the teeth, gums, lining of the mouth (mucosa), and glands that produce saliva (salivary glands).
Can cancer medications cause dental problems?
Other medications that help manage cancer symptoms and side effects may also cause dental and oral side effects. For example, pain medications can cause dry mouth. And some mouth rinses that are used to treat infections may discolor teeth.
What are the treatments for dental and oral side effects?
There are several common treatments for dental and oral side effects: Mouth rinses that contain salt and baking soda may help treat mouth sores. However, if you are taking high blood pressure medication, you may need to avoid mouth rinses with salt. There are also a variety of prescription rinses that may soothe sore spots.
Are there any oral side effects of cancer treatment?
Because cancer treatment can affect the oral tissues, you need to know about potential oral side effects. Preexisting or untreated oral disease can also complicate cancer treatment. Your role in patient management can extend benefits beyond the oral cavity. Oral complications from radiation to the head and neck or chemotherapy for any malignancy
How is cancer treated in the dental field?
Dental care of cancer patients before, during and after treatment. Radiotherapy works by destroying cancer cells in the area that's being treated. Normal cells can also be damaged by radiotherapy, which may cause side effects. Cancer cells cannot repair themselves after radiotherapy, but normal cells usually can.
Can cancer treatment affect your teeth?
Chemotherapy can affect your teeth and other places in your mouth. 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.
Can chemo treatments affect your teeth?
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy may cause changes in the lining of the mouth and the salivary glands, which make saliva. This can upset the healthy balance of bacteria. These changes may lead to mouth sores, infections, and tooth decay.
Why can't you go to the dentist while on chemo?
The side effects can be painful and make it hard to eat, talk, and swallow. You are more likely to get an infection, which can be dangerous, when you are receiving treatment. If the side effects are bad, you may not be able to keep up with your cancer treatment.
Should cancer patients take antibiotics before dental work?
Should I take any special precautions when having dental work done? In any of these situations, bacteria that normally enter the bloodstream during dental work can result in serious infections. As a precaution against infection, if you have any of these conditions, you should take antibiotics before any dental work.
How long after chemo can you have dental work?
Typically, you should allow at least 2 weeks for healing between dental surgery and starting cancer treatment. You should also talk with your doctor or another member of your health care team about which mouth problems you should tell your dentist about right away.
Can chemo affect your teeth long term?
Dental and oral health and vision problems. 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.
Does chemotherapy affect your teeth and gums?
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to treat cancer. These drugs kill cancer cells, but they may also harm normal cells, including cells in the mouth. Side effects include problems with your teeth and gums; the soft, moist lining of your mouth; and the glands that make saliva (spit).
Does tamoxifen cause dental problems?
Participants who used tamoxifen for more than 1 year had a higher mean missing teeth (13.99 vs. 10.45; P = 0.030). After the adjustments, the occurrence of more than 12 missing teeth was 2.75-fold higher among women who used tamoxifen for more than 1 year (95% CI: 1.06–7.12).
Can you get a cavity filled while on chemo?
Many dentists and oral surgeons are unable to perform basic dental procedures, such as filling a cavity or extracting a tooth, if you are in the middle of undergoing a round of chemotherapy.
Can having cancer affect your teeth?
Cancer and its treatment can affect virtually every part of your body, including your teeth, mouth and gums. What's more, poor oral health can increase your risk of experiencing treatment side effects and possibly interfere with certain cancer therapies.
Does cancer make your teeth fall out?
Loose teeth can occur for several reasons, usually some type of trauma to the mouth. However, when you have loose teeth with no apparent cause, this can be a sign of oral cancer.
What is the treatment for cancer?
This is called curative treatment. It may be used with other treatments, such as surgery or chemotherapy. If it's not possible to cure the cancer, doctors may give you radiotherapy to help relieve symptoms you have. This is called palliative treatment.
What is the best mouthwash for head and neck cancer?
The specialist may recommend a prescription mouthwash such as Calphosol or MuGard, to help alleviate the patient's mucositis. For some head and neck cancer patients (HNC) the severe problem of osteoradionecrosis (ORN) cannot be avoided.
How often should I apply fluoride varnish to my teeth?
For high risk patients Public Health England recommend a high fluoride varnish to be applied professionally to the teeth and any exposed root surfaces at six monthly intervals. There are a few choices of varnishes becoming available but currently PHE recommend Duraphat varnish containing calcium fluoride 22,600 ppm.
What is Bioxtra mouth spray?
Bioxtra mouth rinse and Bioxtra gel mouth spray contain xylitol and fluoride.
How does radiotherapy work?
Radiotherapy works by destroying cancer cells in the area that's being treated. Normal cells can also be damaged by radiotherapy, which may cause side effects. Cancer cells cannot repair themselves after radiotherapy, but normal cells usually can. You can be given radiotherapy for different reasons.
Why is chemotherapy given?
Chemotherapy can be given as a main treatment or after other treatments to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back. Or, you may have it to shrink a cancer before surgery or radiotherapy. It is sometimes combined with radiotherapy (chemoradiation). Chemotherapy is also given to control cancer that has spread and to relieve symptoms.
What to consider before dental treatment?
Dental professionals have a real opportunity to help patients with a ‘belt and braces’ approach. There are many products to recommend, prescribe and ultimately help patients. Promoting a good controlled die t is the ideal.
What kind of dentists treat cancer?
Oral surgeons, who do surgery of the mouth and jaw. Periodontists, who diagnose and treat gum disease. Maxillofacial prosthodontists, who replace teeth or other structures in the mouth and jaw.
Why is it important to talk to your oncologist about dental treatment?
If you see a dentist during cancer treatment, it is important that they talk with your oncologist to make sure that any dental treatment you receive is safe for you.
What causes bone loss in the jaw?
MRONJ causes weakening and loss of bone in the jaw. This can sometimes cause pain, infection, loose teeth, and exposed bone around the jaw. MRONJ can usually be managed with good oral hygiene, antibiotics, or through a simple procedure that removes the piece of bone that is exposed.
How to treat a tooth that is infected?
Treat decayed, broken, or infected teeth and any other dental infection. Make sure your dentures fit well and are not irritating your mouth. Remove your braces so they do not irritate your cheeks or tongue. Ask your dentist to share details about your oral health with your cancer doctor.
What are the side effects of cancer?
Symptoms or side effects of the mouth caused by cancer or its treatment may include: Dry mouth. Thickened saliva. Changes in taste. Mouth sores. Tooth decay. Difficulty swallowing. Difficulty chewing or opening the mouth.
What is the best treatment for breast cancer?
Bone-modifying drugs. Medications such as bisphosphonates and other newer drugs are sometimes used to reduce the spread of cancer cells to the bone. They can also be used to treat breast cancer that has spread to the bone or to treat osteoporosis in breast cancer survivors.
What are targeted therapies?
Some of these, called targeted therapies, target specific genes, proteins, or the tissue environment that contributes to cancer growth and survival . Some targeted therapies can have side effects that affect the mouth. For example, drugs called mTOR inhibitors may cause canker sores, a type of mouth sore.
What can a dentist do to help you with side effects?
When you go to the dentist, your dental hygienist and dentist can do the following: Examine your teeth and gums. Take X-rays.
How to keep your teeth healthy during chemo?
Your body can't fight off infection as well as it used to, so ensuring your mouth is clean and teeth are healthy can help keep you healthy. Brush your teeth, gums, and tongue twice a day. Use a fluoride toothpaste.
How to help with dry mouth and thickened saliva?
If thickened saliva is causing the difficulty, your dentist may recommend prescription products or artificial saliva combined with drinking water throughout the day to help with thickened saliva and dry mouth.
What are the side effects of chemo?
Difficulty swallowing, also known as dysphagia. Mouth sores. Trismus, also known as lockjaw. Changes in taste. Chemotherapy causes other side effects in children undergoing chemotherapy. Problems with baby teeth are typical.
What is the best way to keep your mouth clean during chemotherapy?
When undergoing chemotherapy, proper oral hygiene is crucial. Your body can't fight off infection as well as it used to, so ensuring your mouth is clean and teeth are healthy can help keep you healthy.
How to get rid of cavities in your mouth?
Eat foods that are soft, easy to chew, and easy to swallow, like mashed potatoes or scrambled eggs. Take small bites and drink water with your meals to help you swallow and chew. Avoid crunchy and sharp foods like chips or sugary foods that can cause cavities.
Can trismus go away after chemo?
Trismus, also known as lockjaw, is a common side effect among people undergoing oral cancer treatment. Trismus limits the amount of motion in your jaw, making it difficult to eat or talk. Around 30 percent of patients who receive chemoradiation treatment experience trismus. Trismus can be difficult, but it is often temporary and will go away after treatment.
Why is it important to monitor oral health during cancer treatment?
Careful monitoring of oral health is especially important during cancer therapy to prevent, detect, and treat complications as soon as possible. When treatment is necessary, consult the oncologist before any dental procedure, including dental prophylaxis.
How long does it take for dental decay to start after radiation treatment?
#TAB#Radiation caries: lifelong risk of rampant dental decay that may begin within 3 months of completing radiation treatment if changes in either the quality or quantity of saliva persist.
How long does it take for a patient to heal from oral surgery?
Schedule dental work carefully. If oral surgery is required, allow at least 7 to 10 days of healing before the patient receives myelosuppressive chemotherapy. Elective oral surgery should not be performed for the duration of radiation treatment.
What is the TAB of tooth pain?
#TAB#Neurotoxicity: persistent, deep aching and burning pain that mimics a toothache, but for which no dental or mucosal source can be found. This complication is a side effect of certain classes of drugs, such as the vinca alkaloids.
Can you use fluoride for dental demineralization?
Fluoride rinses are not adequate to prevent tooth demineralization. Instead, a high-potency fluoride gel, delivered via custom gel-applicator trays, is recommended. Several days before radiation therapy begins, patients should start a daily 10-minute application of a 1.1% neutral pH sodium fluoride gel or a 0.4% stannous fluoride (unflavored) gel. Patients with porcelain crowns or resin or glass ionomer restorations should use a neutral pH fluoride. Be sure that the trays cover all tooth structures without irritating the gingival or mucosal tissues.
Can you resume dental care after chemo?
Once all complications of chemotherapy have resolved, patients may be able to resume their normal dental care schedule . However, if immune function continues to be compromised, determine the patient’s hematologic status before initiating any dental treatment or surgery. This is particularly important to remember for patients who have undergone stem cell transplantation. Ask if the patient has received intravenous bisphosphonate therapy.
How to prevent mouth problems during cancer treatment?
Here are a few things you can do to prevent complications: Follow a good mouth care protocol. Drink lots of water or stimulate saliva production with sugar-free candy or gum to minimize dry mouth.
What are the side effects of a cancer treatment?
Treatment for different types of cancer may cause side effects including 1 : Oral mucositis, or painful sores in your mouth or throat. Taste changes. Xerostomia or dry mouth. Bleeding gums and tissues, especially if you have low platelets. Tooth decay.
How can a dentist help you?
A dentist can help by: 2 . Identifying potential problem areas, such as loose or ill-fitting dental appliances, undiagnosed cavities, or unhealthy gums. Caring for infections in your mouth before they spread to your bloodstream. Suggesting strategies for maintaining your oral hygiene during treatment.
Why is pain control important for cancer patients?
Remember that cancer patients may be at higher risk of dental problems for the rest of their lives. 3 Keeping up with dental care on a long-term basis is an important part of survivor care.
How to stop a sore mouth?
Inspect the inside of your mouth daily for any changes, sores, or signs of infection. Clean or rinse your mouth out after vomiting. Club soda or baking soda and water make great mouthwashes. Prevent stiffness in your jaw muscles by exercising them! Stretch your mouth open as far as you can, then close it.
What happens if you have marrow cancer in your mouth?
Updated on February 09, 2020. Treatment for blood and marrow cancers can cause a number of changes to the tissues in your body, including those in your mouth. Whether you are receiving chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or a stem cell transplant, oral complications can cause big problems if not treated properly.
Should you see a dentist before radiation?
If you have known dental problems, or require any dental procedures, discuss the best timing and approach with your cancer specialist. All patients with head and neck cancers who are scheduled to receive radiation to their oropharynx should see a dentist before starting radiation.
Can a dentist provide a clear opinion on alternative medicine?
The expectation that a conventionally trained doctor or dentist can provide a clear, objective opinion on the methods of alternative medicine is as ludicrous as expecting a plumber being able provide a cardiovascular assessment for a heart patient.
Can heavy metals cause cancer?
Slow poisoning by heavy metals can induce cancer. Second, the methods of relieving tooth problems creates conditions that harbor microbial growth in the mouth, that over time can form pools of highly resistant microbes and their toxic secretions.
Is there a connection between dental work and cancer?
There is more and more evidence to show that there is some connection between dental work and cancer. Two leading US-based dental toxicity experts conducted a study where they studied about 5,000 extracted teeth that had root canals. When tested, every tooth invariably had incredible levels of toxins coming out of them.
Is dental toxins a controversy?
As always, opinions in alternative medicine are often questioned by the conventional medical community, and dental toxins is certainly an area of controversy where you will find polarized and divided opinions.
