How We Can Help
Visiting your Dentimed team (dentist and dental hygienist) before, during and after cancer treatment can play an integral role in reducing some of the associated oral discomforts and systemic complications that can occur during this time.
Both adults and children need ongoing dental care during cancer treatments to help keep their mouths as healthy and comfortable as possible. This will also reduce the risk of flow on effects that oral complications can have for your whole body.
Our goal at Dentimed is to help ensure that individuals living with a cancer diagnosis experience as few (if any) oral side effects from their treatments as possible.
I Have Just Been Diagnosed
During chemotherapy, your immune system will be compromised. This means that small, painless infections (that you didn’t know existed) can become significantly worse… often causing serious pain and requiring serious medical interventions, in some cases hospitalisation.
Our aim at Dentimed is to get your mouth as healthy as possible (before treatment begins) to help you reduce the risk of dental complications during your oncology treatments.
Dentimed services before oncology treatment:
• Assessment of pre-existing conditions
• Remediation of existing, and potential, sources of infection
• Oral health/dental hygiene instruction
• Supply of devices, medications and medicaments (where necessary)
• Initiate/support smoking cessation programs
I Am Currently Having Treatment
After you start your oncology treatment, you may notice a range of different sensations and side effects. Others side effects may require a professional to diagnose e.g. tooth decay and erosion.
During your cancer treatment continue to see your dental team as they recommend, and more frequently if your symptoms change or become less manageable.
Oral complications will vary for every person but they commonly include:
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Mouth ulcers:
– Oral mucositis
Inflamed gums:
– Gingivitis or periodontal disease
Infections:
– Viral, bacteria or fungal
Vomiting:
– Emesis
Tooth sensitivity:
– Dentin hypersensitivity
Difficulty speaking:
– Dysarthria
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Dry mouth:
– Xerostomia
Bleeding gums:
– Gingivitis or periodontal disease
Compromised healing
Difficulty opening and closing your mouth:
– Trismus
Mouth pain:
– Stomatitis
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Oral thrush:
– Oral candidiasis
Erosion of tooth enamel:
– Dental erosion
Difficulty swallowing:
– Dysphagia
Tooth decay:
– Dental caries
Altered taste:
– Dysgeusia
Lip sores
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An uncomfortable sore mouth can lead to impaired nutrition at a time where optimal nutrition is most critical.
Typically, these side effects pass after the completion of your treatment, however depending on your specific circumstances and treatment regime some conditions may continue.
We can provide support and advice for patients regarding their oral care during times of hospitalisation.
In its most extreme cases oral complications of cancer treatment can compromise the progress of the cancer treatment itself. This can potentially force patients to discontinue or delay their therapy.
If you are undergoing cancer treatment and are experiencing ANY of the side effects listed above, you NEED to get help immediately!
Dentimed services during oncology treatment:
• Identify, prevent and manage oral complications
• Adjustment of dentures/oral appliances for ongoing comfort and use
• Oral health/dental hygiene instruction
• Ongoing oral health/dental hygiene instruction
• Supply of devices, medications and medicaments (where necessary)
• Initiate/support smoking cessation programs
I Have Just Completed My Treatment
After your oncology treatments have finished you will see many complications abate but this is no time to slacken off on keeping your mouth healthy. We will support you with your ongoing oral hygiene to ensure your mouth remains as healthy as possible.
You may also be experiencing some residual problems that you require help with. This may include management of dry mouth, tooth decay or correcting some cosmetic issues that have developed.
No matter which category you fall into, a continued relationship with your dental care team is as important after your treatment as it is before and during. This continued relationship will help keep your mouth as healthy as possible.
Dentimed services after oncology treatment
• Rehabilitation of you mouth for function and/or aesthetics
• Management of chronic or permanent oral impediments
• Oral health/dental hygiene instruction
• Ongoing oral health/dental hygiene instruction
• Supply of devices, medications and medicaments (where necessary)
• Initiate/support smoking cessation programs
I Am A Childhood Cancer Survivor
Survivorship of childhood or young adult cancers is at an all time high, which is great news! However, adult survivors can often experience lingering or late onset trouble with their mouths that are a direct result of the life saving treatments that they have undergone.
These individuals have their own unique set of dental needs that differ from the general population and require life-long care from a dental team that understand the special needs of adult survivors.
Survivors can be at risk of:
• Periodontal disease
• Tooth decay
• Developmental issues with the roots of their teeth
• Issues with tooth enamel development (resulting in grooves, discolouration or easy staining)
• Small sized teeth
• Increased tooth sensitivity to hot and cold
• Dry mouth (xerostomia)
• Altered taste
• Difficulty opening and closing their mouth (trismus)
• Jaw bone problems after dental surgery or extractions (osteoradionecrosis)
As a result adult survivors require ongoing follow up to identify any issues early and allow for preventative action to be taken. This will lead to better outcomes from oral health, functional and cosmetic perspectives.
What we offer
• Pre-therapy assessments and oral health plans
• Prevention and treatment of mouth and throat sores
• Management of dry mouth and reduced salivary flow
• Management of oral, head and neck pain
• Restorative and therapeutic dentistry
• Dental hygiene instruction (oral health instruction)
• Management of taste alteration and/or taste loss
• Smoking cessation
• Regular communication with your oncology team
