Two dental health tips for people who are undergoing chemotherapy

If you are currently undergoing chemotherapy, here are some tips you should bear in mind to ensure that your dental health doesn't decline during the treatment process.

Take your dental health into consideration when trying to manage your nausea and dry mouth

Some chemotherapy medication can cause both nausea and dry mouth. If or when you develop these symptoms, it's important to try to find ways to manage them that will not harm your teeth and gums.

For example, some people who experience these side effects choose to relieve their nausea and the dryness in their mouth by eating sugary ice-lollies or by letting sweets melt in their mouth. Additionally, they may sip on non-alcoholic ginger ale, as this too can ease nausea.

However, this is not necessarily the best approach to take, as all of these foods and drinks contain sugar, as well as acids (in the case of the fizzy drinks) which can damage tooth enamel and cause caries. As such, you should opt for sugar-free ice-lollies and drinks instead (i.e. ones made with sweeteners like xylitol, which won't harm your teeth).

Additionally, rather than drinking ginger ale, you may want to try sipping on ginger tea instead, as this does not contain any harmful acids or sugars that could ruin your teeth but could still help to relieve your nausea. If you find that only fizzy drinks will get rid of your nausea, make sure to opt for ones that are sugar-free and use a straw to consume them to minimise the amount of acidic liquid that touches your teeth.

Go to your dentist immediately if you notice any signs of an oral infection

Chemotherapy can weaken your immune system. This means that not only are you more likely to become ill when you undergo this treatment, but any illnesses that you do develop will be more severe and harder to resolve, as your body won't be able to fight off the viruses or bacteria that are causing you to be sick.

For example, if you develop a mouth ulcer whilst you are undergoing chemotherapy, this (usually very minor and harmless) condition could result in a secondary bacterial infection at the site of the ulcer or in a nearby tooth (which could then cause an abscess to form). This infection could then spread from your mouth to other areas of your body, via your bloodstream.

As such, it is important to watch out for any signs of oral infections and to head to your dentist as soon as you can if you spot any of these signs. They will be able to either prescribe topical or oral antibiotics or refer you to a GP.

Some of the things that you should watch out for are pus-filled lumps, a high temperature, a foul smell or taste in your mouth and swelling in your neck glands, your gums and the area around your jawbone.

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