Do you know why it is important to have a Dental checkup before Radiotherapy?
In a healthy mouth, saliva balances the acidity of the mouth and helps digest any sugars eaten. Radiation therapy usually decreases saliva production, which can result in an increased risk of tooth decay, cavities, gum disease, jawbone destruction, and infection.
When cancer treatment is not urgent, patients should visit a dentist at least four weeks before treatment begins. Oral examination before cancer treatment can identify problems like dental cavities, fractured teeth, gum disease and all these problems need to be addressed to reduce the risk of side effects after cancer treatment.
Cancer treatment can lower the body’s immune system. Which makes it easy for bacteria to spread. As dental cavities and gum disease are caused by bacterial infections. Before cancer treatment to reduce the risk of bacterial infection in other parts of the body. They should be treated during and after. If dental problems are treated before cancer treatment begins. So the severity of oral diseases can be reduced.
Trismus is a common side effect of radiation therapy for jaw cancer. It is caused by inflammation and fibrosis of the jaw muscles. So the opening of the mouth is reduced. Severity of trismus depends on the source of radiation, dose and number of irradiated fields.
Trismus can occur 3-48 months after receiving radiation therapy. It can make speaking and chewing difficult. It can make it difficult to reach your back teeth and make it more difficult to treat the teeth after radiation therapy.
Radiotherapy reduces the blood supply to your jawbone and therefore reduces the bone’s ability to heal. This means, if you need to have a tooth extracted after radiotherapy. So there is a possibility that the bone associated with the tooth may die. This leads to a painful condition called osteoradionecrosis.
That is why cancer surgeons advise to undergo all dental treatment before giving radiotherapy.
