Tell Your Dentist Before Starting Chemotherapy

Anyone facing cancer therapy already knows that chemotherapy is tough to go through. Treatment of cancer is a serious response to a severe condition.

What they may not know is that a dental appointment scheduled at least two weeks before treatment begins can reduce the risk of complications and help preserve salivary glands.

The reason is this: with radiation treatment and chemotherapy, changes in saliva occur that can encourage decay and dry mouth, diminish taste, and thicken soft tissues—to name a few.

Overcoming all these side effects is much easier if dental health starts in the right place. (If gums are healthy, restorations are intact, and oral hygiene habits are impeccable.)

So, if someone you know is planning on receiving cancer therapy, share this information with them. A pre-treatment dental appointment made now will go a long way toward improving their recovery potential once treatment is complete.