Many of you know that I have been undergoing treatment for breast cancer over the last year and I wanted to share some things that I thought were important from a dentist’s perspective. By the way, I am doing well so not to worry! I chalk up my quick recovery to the fact that I was in great shape prior to starting treatment so my body was “optimized” for best outcomes. I was exercising, eating right, got all doctors’ (including dentist!) exams done and surrounded myself with my caring friends and family circle. My physical therapist recently said to me that we need to do “pre-hab” to strengthen and tone before my next surgery in June and I like that word “pre-hab” -hence the idea for this blog post!
Just last week, a patient come in who is about to start treatment for his cancer and needed dental clearance from his oncologist that his mouth was healthy and would not cause any interruptions in treatment due to dental infections/problems flaring up when he become immunocompromised during chemotherapy. This is not only for cancer patients but for all patients about to undergo major surgery or other treatments that can cause physical, mental or biological impediments to taking care of yourself and health. Here is what we recommend for dental pre-hab:
1- Schedule an exam with your dentist as soon as possible : this should include updated x-rays, gum health and dental evaluations
2- Complete any dental cleaning and treatment if oncologist allows or if unable to do invasive treatment, look into treatments like Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) to arrest the decay. Ensure there are no sharp edges on teeth or ill-fitting dentures that can easily cause ulcers.
3-Invest in customized periodontal trays (Perio Protect) for easy at-home oxygenation therapy to help with keeping pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria down and gums healthy even when you have difficulty with brushing and flossing. The trays can also be used as Fluoride gel trays to help prevent cavities
4-Ask for advice on tips to avoid/control oral side effects of chemotherapy, radiation and just general home care instructions.
We hope that everyone stays healthy and never need to undergo invasive treatments but we just never know and so it is best that we are always in the best, “optimized” health as possible so our bodies can handle those unexpected events.
Be well and thrive,
Dr. Patel