Undergoing cancer treatment is a long process. Not having to worry about your dental health during this process will be very much helpful later on.
Your immune system is going to be impacted during cancer treatment. Having healthy dental health is vital in this condition.
Oral infections may hamper the cancer treatment. If the dental infection is severe, you may have to even postpone chemotherapy.
To avoid this, take the following care before beginning with cancer treatment.
Dental Visit :
Your dentist will do an in depth dental check up and advise you dental treatments which will help you keep oral infections at bay.
Some dental preventive treatments like dental sealants and dental fluoride application help in preventing dental caries.
If you already have any dental issue like decayed tooth, it is advisable to get it treated before starting chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Some dental treatments are not recommended during and even a few months after chemotherapy and radiotherapy. If these decayed teeth are not taken care of before then they may pose an impending worry of probable dental pain in near future.
It is advisable to restore the missing teeth as having all healthy teeth is important to be able to chew food properly, thus helping in maintaining overall health.
Brush twice daily :
Healthy mouth, healthy body. It is essential to maintain a healthy body to be able to undergo cancer treatment. Brushing twice daily using a soft toothbrush and fluoridated toothpaste will help you stay away from dental pain and issues.
Floss :
Flossing cleans in between teeth which get missed during brushing. In absence of flossing, these surfaces get neglected and become prone to dental caries.
Healthy diet :
Healthy nutritious food will be recommended to you by your oncologist too. This helps build the immune system.
Have foods rich in vitamins and minerals like fruits and vegetables to help the body heal faster.
Do not use tobacco :
Tobacco products, be it chewing or smoking are harmful to the oral tissues and overall health.
Tobacco hampers the healing of the body.
Rinse your mouth :
Keep those bacteria away by rinsing your mouth after every meal.
Brushing twice daily, flossing and rinsing after every meal will support our goal of keeping dental decay away during the cancer treatment.
Always remember,
“Cancer is going to be only one chapter in your life,not the whole story.”
