When battling cancer, patients may develop oral problems as a complication. This can result in a dwindling spiral of health issues, as these oral problems can have a negative effect on the cancer treatment itself. Dr. Jaskiel, a well-known practicing holistic dentist, takes preventive and effective measures to help with dental care for cancer patients undergoing cancer treatment to help keep their oral health boosted and maintained. When searching for a top-notch holistic dentist, Miami is the destination where you will find Dr. Jaskiel and Brickell Avenue Dentistry.
Dr. Jaskiel and the entire staff at Brickell Avenue Dentistry practice special protocols when a patient is being treated for cancer. We know that maintaining oral health is extremely important during this critical time, as compromised immune systems can trigger other physical complications. We always check for any unusual oral conditions, including oral cancer, in order to detect and handle them as soon as possible.
CANCER THERAPY AND POSSIBLE ORAL COMPLICATIONS
Patients who are undergoing radiation treatment to the head or neck can experience an increase in complications with their oral health. Chemotherapy can also lower a patient’s immune system, exposing the patient to non-optimum oral difficulties, such as gum disease. Some complications include:
- Often patients undergoing cancer treatment may have nutritional issues due to lack of appetite. Poor nutrition has an ever-widening detrimental effect on the whole body, including the mouth.
- Infections caused by viral, bacterial and fungal agents, resulting from radiation therapy or chemotherapy.
- Reduced saliva flow resulting in dry mouth. This can lead to increased chances of dental decay, mouth infections or sores, and trouble with eating, swallowing or talking.
Aggressive cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy, is toxic to both normal cells and cancer cells. This means that the healthy cells in the mouth can be compromised with cancer treatment. In addition, fungi and bacteria naturally exist in the body, including the mouth, but when the immune system is lowered, these elements can quickly become more hostile rather than helpful.
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DENTAL TREATMENT BEFORE CANCER TREATMENT
Dr. Jaskiel in Miami can be instrumental in helping you if you are anticipating having cancer treatment. It’s crucial that your oral health be at its most optimum, because cancer treatment can produce unpleasant or dangerous oral side effects. These become more susceptible or worsen when your oral health is substandard at the time you start cancer treatment.
If you will be undertaking cancer treatment in the near future, Dr. Jaskiel can perform a thorough oral examination prior to starting. If any dental treatment is necessary, he will coordinate with you and your doctor. It may be possible to complete the dental treatment before starting any cancer treatment. This will greatly boost your oral health and provide a strengthened defense against a weakened immune system.
DENTAL TREATMENT DURING CANCER TREATMENT
It may be necessary to receive dental treatment while undergoing cancer therapy. Dr. Jaskiel will be in communication with your oncologist to coordinate any dental care. If you are receiving radiation or chemotherapy, he will synchronize any needed dental work, especially with regard to any oral surgery or other invasive procedure. If Dr. Jaskiel recommends antibiotics or other medication, this would be discussed with your oncologist first. It may be that certain procedures will need to be postponed until after your cancer treatment is completed.
DENTAL TREATMENT AFTER CANCER TREATMENT
Any dental care received after cancer treatment would be coordinated with your oncologist, as would any dentistry before or during cancer treatment. Dr. Jaskiel would check your hematologic status to be sure it’s normal as well as any other condition that would affect dental treatment.
COMPASSIONATE AND EFFECTIVE DENTAL CARE
Rest assured that Dr. Jaskiel and the entire staff take great care of all their patients, especially those undergoing cancer treatment. In addition to any pre-treatment oral care he is able to perform, we also instruct these patients in the various practices they need to carry out at home to keep their oral health at a high level.
As always, you can expect a very caring, compassionate and professional dental team in a calm and soothing environment when you come to Model Smile Dentistry. You will experience comfort, understanding and gentle treatment. We know that these factors go hand in hand with creating a healthy and mindful defense against the possible negative side effects of cancer treatment. This is only a part of what makes Dr. Abraham Jaskiel in Miami one of the best dentist to help perform dental care for cancer patients. You are in competent and caring hands at Brickell Avenue Cosmetic & Holistic Dentistry.
Oral Cancer can be defined as any cancerous tissue growth that occurs in the oral cavity. It is a head and neck cancer subtype that may start as a lesion originating in the oral tissues, by metastasis (originating from a distant site), or by extension (from an adjacent anatomic structure like the nasal cavity).
Oral Cancer may also originate in the tissues of the mouth, varying in histologic types, from adenocarcinoma to teratoma, tonsillar, lymphoma, or melanoma. Of the different types of oral cancers, about 90% are squamous cell carcinomas, which originate in the tissues of the mouth and lips.
Many oral cancers also involve the tongue, gums, the floor of the mouth, palate, and the cheek lining.
Early Detection
Like any type of cancer, early detection is key to getting timely treatment and triumphing over oral cancer. In fact, the 5-year survival rate for those diagnosed with localized disease is 81%, which is significantly higher than 30% for those whose cancer has affected other parts of the body.
Most signs of a beginning oral cancer can easily be felt and seen, such as changes in the tissues of the mouth.
Warning Signs of Oral Cancer
Red or white lesions could be seen as precursors to Oral Cancer. Leukoplakia or white lesions are more common than erythroplakia or red lesions, though lesions that have erythroplakic components are more worrisome, as they have greater potential for being cancerous.
White or red lesions that do not resolve themselves in two weeks should be considered for biopsy and reevaluation for a proper diagnosis.
Other possible signs and symptoms associated with oral cancer include a thickening or a lump in the soft tissues of the oral cavity, soreness, difficulty in swallowing or chewing, a sensation of having something caught in the throat, ear pain, hoarseness, difficulty in moving the tongue or the jaw, and numbness or swelling of the tongue and other mouth areas.
If you experience these problems persistently over the course of two weeks or longer, you may want to consider a thorough clinical examination with a series of laboratory tests to get a definitive diagnosis.
Risk Factors include;
Gender, Age, Ultraviolet light, Genetics, Tabacco use, Alcohol, Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, Immune system suppression, Lichen planus, Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), Irritation from dentures