A cancer diagnosis is a very challenging episode in anyone’s life and confronting the whole treatment process can be daunting. Thinking about how your diagnosis can affect your mouth can be a little way down the list of priorities and that is very understandable.
However, maintaining regular appointments with your dentist both during and after your initial treatment is really important and this regardless of the type of cancer that you have been diagnosed with. All cancer treatment can have significant impacts on a person’s mouth.
This is because most cancer treatment has a ‘drying’ effect on the mouth. What does this mean? Well, these treatments can lead to a reduction in the amount of saliva that is produced in the mouth. Saliva is THE most important thing for tooth and gum health. Less saliva means that your mouth has less ability to stay healthy regardless of how well your brushing and flossing routine is at home.
At Centre Street Dental, we recommend that if you have had a cancer diagnosis, it is important to make your dentist part of your overall ‘cancer treatment’ team. We invite you to call us for an appointment should you require any further information.