Allow at least 14 days of healing for any oral • surgical procedures. Conduct prosthetic surgery before treatment, since • elective surgical procedures are contraindicated on irradiated bone.
Avoid dental treatment for about a week after chemotherapy. Inflammation starts with red gums that may bleed. Even slight bleeding should not be ignored. Use toothpaste and chewing gum with xylitol.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) recommends that dental professionals be considered part of the cancer care team in individuals undergoing cancer treatment and that people see their dentist 4 weeks prior to initiating cancer treatment (if possible) to allow for healing if any dental work is required.
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.
Cancer survivors, even those who received many weeks of radiation to the oral cavity and head/neck area, even those who received a combination of radiation, chemo, and/or surgical resection, OFTEN ARE candidates for dental implants and CAN receive safe, predictable implant therapy.
Chemotherapy can Affect Bone Density
As a result, bone density plays an important rule in placing your implants. If the bone is not strong or dense enough, the implant will not be able to fuse and heal properly, leading to failure. Chemotherapy can affect your bone structure, often making the bone itself weak.
Tooth extraction, if unavoidable, should be conservative, using antibiotic coverage and possibly hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The oral complications of chemotherapy depend upon the drugs used, the dosage, the degree of dental disease, and the use of radiation.
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.
In severe cases with heavy decay, we may recommend using Gel-Kam or other strong fluoride toothpaste like Prevident 5000 or CTX5000, and placing fluoride gel in the trays overnight.
The most common oral complications related to cancer therapies are mucositis, infection, salivary gland dysfunction, taste dysfunction, and pain. These complications can lead to secondary complications such as dehydration, dysgeusia, and malnutrition.
There are many patients who believe that it will be fine to do dental implants since their radiation treatments happened a long time ago. However, this is not the case. As long as you did receive radiation treatment before, it can cause major problems and increase the risk of failure for dental implants.
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.
A sore mouth caused by chemotherapy usually happens about 5 to 10 days after you start treatment. It gradually clears up 2 to 3 weeks after your treatment ends.
If you have mouth pain during your cancer treatment, you should avoid: Tobacco. Alcohol. Mouthwash that has alcohol (such as Scope® and Listerine®)
Even before you notice sores in your mouth, Moffitt nurses recommend rinsing regularly with a mixture of one teaspoon of baking soda, one teaspoon of salt and four cups of water. After swishing the mixture in your mouth, gargle and spit it out.
Just mix 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/8 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of warm water. Stir it up. Then swish it around in your mouth and spit it out. Do this every 1 to 2 hours during the day.
More than 90 percent of cancers that occur in the oral cavity are squamous cell carcinomas.
A root canal can be one option to save an infected tooth instead of the eventual need for extraction. A root canal is a dental procedure where the dentist removes infected and/or inflamed pulp from inside the tooth. A root canal can alleviate tooth pain and treat tooth decay before the need for an extraction arises.
Surrounding teeth may shift or move into the space where the tooth is missing. This can cause issues with your bite and oral hygiene. Missing teeth can affect speech and your ability to bite and chew. There is a risk of an infection at the extraction site.
Before chemotherapy begins, have your dentist check to see if you have a gum infection, cavities that need filling, ill-fitting dentures or mouth sores. Addressing these issues well before treatment begins may help you avoid further complications later.
If a high risk for implant failure exists, most implant dentists opt to not perform the procedure, rather than waste both their own and the patient's time and resources. Quitting the use of tobacco products and demonstrating a long term commitment to quitting may qualify patients for the procedure.
You should rinse with salt water between 15-30 seconds, and you're not supposed to swallow it. When you're done, spit the water out and repeat this process at least three times a day. However, you're not supposed to rinse more than a few times a day. You should do that until your gums are healed.
Clean your teeth with a soft-bristled or electric toothbrush and replace regularly (at least every three months) to prevent infection. Use a mild toothpaste recommended by your dentist. Avoid whitening toothpastes, which may irritate the mouth and gums.
They found that chewing gum could decrease mild to moderate inflammatory injuries of the oral mucosa caused by chemotherapy (Didem et al., 2014; Eghbali et al., 2016; Gandemer et al., 2007). In the study, Didem et al. (2014) and Eghbali et al.