Did you know that 40% of patients treated with chemotherapy develop some oral pathology? Mucositis, oral infections, dry mouth, pain and bleeding are some of the diseases that patients undergoing cancer treatment can suffer from.<\/p>\n
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Some of these pathologies are:<\/p>\n
Oral mucositis<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n o Appears 4-7 days after administration of cytostatics in the form of erythematous (red) lesions that evolve into ulcers or aphthae lasting 14-21 days. It is painful and may prevent the ingestion of food.<\/p>\n o For prevention, 30 minutes of oral cryotherapy with ice chips is recommended while receiving treatment.<\/p>\n o Acyclovir should not be used preventively and chlorhexidine should not be used to treat established oral mucositis.<\/p>\n o While it is present, some habits need to be modified:<\/p>\n o Avoid products containing alcohol, glycerine, lemon and hydrogen peroxide.<\/p>\n o A soft diet is recommended, increasing cold, nutritious fluids.<\/p>\n o Avoid alcoholic beverages and tobacco.<\/p>\n Dry mouth (xerostomia)<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n By altering the salivary glands, chemotherapy thickens saliva and causes dry mouth (xerostomia). It usually lasts throughout the treatment and disappears two to eight weeks after the end of treatment.<\/p>\n Signs and symptoms:<\/p>\n These discomforts can be alleviated by following these guidelines:<\/p>\n Candidiasis<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Candidiasis is a fungal infection (mycosis) of any of the following species Candida<\/a>the most frequent being the Candida albicans<\/em><\/a>. It is produced due to the low state of defences produced by the oncological treatment, which this species takes advantage of to \"colonise\" the mouth.<\/p>\n That is why it is vitally important to visit your dentist before undergoing cancer treatment and to have regular check-ups, as well as having your teeth cleaned before starting chemotherapy treatment, for example, can prevent many of these pathologies, as we explain in the following video.<\/p>\n\n
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