Information
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PATIENTS
UNDERGOING CHEMO OR RADIATION
Brush your teeth, tissue and tongue gently with an extra soft toothbrush and a fluoride toothpaste after every meal and before bedtime
Floss teeth gently every day or if gums are tender, use a water pick or soft interdental pick
If instructed use fluoride gel in trays 1-2 times per day for 10 minutes each time. It is best to start this process a week before your treatment begins and your dentist will fabricate the trays for you
Avoid mouthwashes containing alcohol. Instead rinse with 1/4 t. salt and 1/2 tsp. baking soda dissolved in 8 oz. of warm water. Or make a quart jar full every morning and rinse throughout the day to soothe the tissue. Dispose of at end of day. If mucositis arises, contact your dentist as there are other rinses they can prescribe
Exercise your jaw muscles 3 X per day to prevent and treat jaw stiffness from radiation. Open and close as far as comfortable and repeat 20 times
Avoid candy, gum and soda unless they are sugar free or contain Xylitol
Avoid spicy or acidic foods, tobacco products and alcohol
Stimulate saliva flow with soft lozenges or dry mouth rinses, gels or sprays. Don't be afraid to use more than one modality at a time.
Suck on ice chips or Xylitol mints
Xylitol gum or mints are theraputic and should be used 5 X per day for 5 minutes each exposure to induce salivary enzymes and inhibit bacterial growth
Keep your scheduled appointments with your dental professionals. You may be put on a shorter recall for now to keep your mouth in optimal health and allow for the application of fluoride more frequently
XYLITOL
Xylitol is a natural sugar found in the fibrous part of some plants. It offers a natural sweet flavor with no aftertaste because it is natural and not synthetic. Bacteria in our mouths cannot metabolize this sugar and so they cannot produce the acid that makes our teeth decay. Xylitol also increases salivation and neutralizes the mouth and is a plaque inhibitor. In order to be effective in reducing decay it must be exposed in your mouth 5-6 times per day for 5 minutes each time. It comes in mints, gum, rinses, sprays and granular form that can be used to sweeten your coffee or tea or can also be added to water. Use the nasal spray to hydrate throat and nasal passages and also reudce bacteria. It can be purchased at most health food stores and online at Xlear.com or Amazon. Also this is becoming a more competitive product so look for other manufacturers. It should be 100% Xylitol without other added sugars to be effective
PRODUCTS
Dry mouth lozenges: Salese, Oramoist, ACT for dry mouth, Xylimelts (Costco)
Dry mouth gels: Biotene Oral Balance gel or spray, Spry spray by Xlear, ACT for dry mouth, Xerostom gel or spray (Amazon)
Mouth rinses for sore tissue: Rincinol by Butler or Peroxyl by Colgate, SalivaMAX
Mints/gum: Spry, Xerostom, Xyla
The above products can be found online, at health food stores, or at Costco or any drug store
CARIOSTATIC FOODS
The following foods are less likely to cause decay:
Xylitol products, Grape seed extract, raisins, cranberries green tea, plain water, milk, plain yogurt without added sugar, nuts, cheese, probiotics. Most veggies are also a good choice.
