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Why You HAVE to Go to the Dentist BEFORE Treatment Begins

By Nancy Symonds, RDH (Registered Dental Hygienist)

Why is it extremely important to see your dentist and get any necessary dental work done before you begin your cancer treatment? Why should you include a trip to the dentist when you are busy getting lab tests and x-rays and beginning to consider medications for your cancer?

Here are a few of these very important reasons:

If you have an infection or problem in your mouth, it can spread to the rest of your body. Learning how to prevent an infection in your mouth is a lot easier than learning how to clear it up once it happens.

When you are going through treatment, you do not want to have an abscess, root canal, extraction, or any other problem that you were unaware of before treatment begins. This is especially true for head and neck cancer patients. They may not be able to have certain dental procedures done after radiation, so it is imperative to have this dental work done before radiation treatment

If you wear dentures, you will need a dental evaluation for their fit and for the condition of your supporting tissues and bone. A sore mouth can make it difficult to eat and cause problems with getting nutrition and keeping your immune system up.

You could develop difficulty in talking and communicating.

You may have to stop cancer treatment if your mouth becomes too sore.

Alert your dental office that you will be going through chemotherapy or radiation or both before you go to your dental appointment so that they can evaluate you for being in a special medical category. Your dentist and cancer doctor should consult on the necessary care for you. This care may include:

Necessary x-rays and a panoramic x-ray with a full mouth examination including periodontal charting.

A dental cleaning with a fluoride treatment and home care instructions for plaque control.

Custom-made fluoride trays made for head and neck radiation patients.

Partials and dentures cleaned, polished, and adjusted to eliminate any irritations.

Dental work that needs to be done, such as cavities filled, broken fillings replaced, and treatment for bone and gums that are infected.

Head and neck radiation patients need to be seen 14 to 21 days before radiation treatment begins in order for the dental work to be completed, as there can be no invasive dental work done after they have started radiation therapy. Further, as noted above, in some cases you can't even have the work done after therapy is over.

Because chemotherapy patients may have to start their treatment in less than the 14 to 21 days, check with your oncologist for details and referrals.

— © Copyright 1998, Nancy Symonds, RDH