Radiotherapy may affect the condition of your teeth. During radiotherapy, you will lose your saliva due to treatment and can not properly protect your teeth anymore. Also, X-rays can be toxic to your teeth and jaw.
Before radiotherapy:
It is imperative that you make a complete dental checkup before your treatment to make sure that all of your teeth are cleaned and cured by a dentist. It might be necessary to extract some teeth in poor condition.
If you underwent dental extraction, radiotherapy will begin after healing is totally complete unless you will experienced infection.
To protect your teeth, you will need to use fluorine to strengthen dental enamel.
During and after radiotherapy:
- Brush your teeth carefully.
- Put fluorine in a gutter which you will receive from the dentist and apply it to your teeth after each time you eat during exactly 5 minutes at evening time.
- Clean carefully your mouth and avoid sweet foods or beverages before you go to sleep until the morning.
You should continue this care of your teeth for the rest of your life because X-rays’ harmful effects on your teeth remains permanently.
You should also have a dental checkup twice a year.
Your radiation oncologist is available to answer your questions should you need any further information.
