Offering oral care in difficult times
Sadly, the truth of our times is that you would be hard-pressed to meet a person who has not had their life touched by cancer. This disease changes lives regardless of age, gender, religion, or race … affecting the young and the old, the rich and the poor, the weak and the strong … and there is no way to really prevent it. But, the one thing you can be sure of is that after cancer comes into your life – things will never be the same.
During these times, although there is a lot on your mind, it is especially important to maintain proper oral hygiene. In fact, it becomes even more important as chemotherapy and radiation treatments can cause a sore mouth, throat, and gums, including issues like: rapid dental decay, oral ulcers, infection, dry mouth, and burning, swelling and peeling of the tongue. You should see your dentist as soon as possible following your diagnosis in order for us to offer as much preventative care as possible prior to starting chemotherapy/radiation to reduce your risk of oral side effects. Then during your treatment schedule, keep your dentist informed of any issues that develop and so that we can help. For many of our patients, we can custom tailor your preventative in-office oral healthcare to offer you the best possible chance of reducing oral side effects of your treatment. Your dental team should be a part of your cancer team; we care and are here to help.
We can’t stop cancer from touching our lives, but we can reduce the risk of oral side effects from chemotherapy and radiation – and we can be there for each other.