The Tribune

By Dr ANDRE CLARKE

The word chemotherapy is a combination of two words: chemical and therapy.

Chemotherapy is essentially a treatment regime that uses powerful chemicals to kill fast growing cells in the body. These fast growing cells are not only bad cancer cells in the body, but also many good cells too. It is because of this fact that the side effects of chemotherapy occur. These side effects are the “Achilles tendons” of the chemical therapies referred to here.

There are many different chemotherapy drugs and many different treatment regimes that are often used to treat patients with cancer. Chemotherapy drugs are formulated to be used alone or in combination with each other, in order to kill a variety of cancer cells. The oncologist (cancer doctor) is then left to decide which drug he prefers and which regime he thinks is best suited for a particular patient with a particular cancer.

As mentioned before, all chemotherapy treatments carry the risk of side effects. Some of these side effects are mild, while others can be more serious. The side effects that chemotherapy cause in the mouth and throat should not be taken lightly.

Chemotherapy can cause cavities (rotten teeth); soreness of the tissues in the mouth and throat; infections in the mouth; infections in the corners of the mouth and on the lips; dry mouth problems; mouth swellings and bleeding gums. These are just a few of the possible “Achilles tendons” that chemotherapy can cause in the mouth and throat.

In order to maintain a healthy mouth when you start chemotherapy, you should:

Visit your dentist at least one month before the chemotherapy treatment, for a pre-treatment mouth examination.

Tell your dentist about your oncologist’s treatment goals and plans.

Allow 14 to 21 days to go by after a surgical procedure in the mouth (e.g. extraction), before receiving the chemotherapy regime.

Ensure blood work is done in order to check red blood cells, clotting cells and white blood cells, before any mouth procedure is started.

Check your mouth daily for anything out of the normal (e.g lumps or bumps).

Ensure that all mouth infections found during any dental visits are treated completely and if antibiotic pre-medications are needed before any dental procedure that you take them.

Brush and floss at least two times daily.

Drink lots of liquids and suck on ice to alleviate dry mouth. Chewing sugar-free gum will also help.

Rinse your mouth with baking soda, salt and water, as many as six times daily.

Clean your dentures (false teeth) daily and do not sleep in them.

Do not eat irritant and rough textured foods.

Exercise and stretch the joints in the front of your ears, at least twice daily.

These pointers are just a few things to do in order to help improve mouth health during chemotherapy. It takes consistent team effort in order to ensure that the mouth’s health stays good during any chemotherapy regime. The oncologist, the dentist and the patient make up the team that has to always work closely.

Keep your mouth alive.

This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended and may not be treated as, a substitute for professional medical/dental advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician or dental professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical/dental condition. Never disregard professional medical/dental advice or delay in seeking it because of a purely informational publication. If you have questions, please send email to dr_andreclarke@hotmail.com.