Cancer and how it can affect your oral health.

What Are Oral Complications of Cancer Therapy?

Most people are aware of common side effects of cancer treatment like nausea and hair loss. But many don't realize that more than one-third of people treated for cancer develop complications that affect the mouth. These problems may interfere with cancer treatment and seriously lower the standard of living of the patient.

Head and neck radiation, chemotherapy, and blood and marrow transplantation can cause oral complications ranging from dry mouth to life-threatening infections.

What Can Be Done to Reduce Their Risk and Impact?

Advise the dentist as to which therapy is planned. Each therapy has it's concerns and preparations.

Conduct blood work 24 hours before any dental procedure.

After radiation make sure the patient follows up with a fluoride gel/home care compliance. 

Tooth extraction, if unavoidable, should be conservative.

Resume a regular dental recall schedule when chemotherapy is completed and all side effects, including immunosuppression, have resolved.

These are just a few preventative steps that can help keep your oral health up while beating the disease. Dr. Davis can help develop plan to to make sure you're doing your best.

                   Cosmetic Dental Associates | www.cosmeticdentistshouston.com

Top food and drinks that can stain your teeth.

Determined to keep those pearly whites their whitest? You already know how important it is to brush and floss daily and to see a dentist periodically. But dentists say you should also be mindful of certain foods and beverages that stain teeth.

Intensely colored foods and beverages tend to be the biggest offenders. If you’re worried about spilling the food or drink on your white tablecloth, it could stain your teeth. The more intense the color, the more potential there is for staining.
The color in these foods and beverages comes from chromogens, intensely pigmented molecules with a talent for attaching to dental enamel.

Acidity is another factor. Acidic foods and drinks promote staining by eroding the dental enamel, temporarily softening teeth for chromogens to do their work.

And finally, a family of food compounds known as tannins promotes staining by further boosting chromogens’ ability to attach to enamel.

The Top Teeth-Staining Foods and Drinks.

1. Wine (Red and White). 

2. Tea. 

3. Cola. 

4. Sports drinks. 

5. Berries. 

6. Sauces.

7. Sweets.
                                         Cosmetic Dental Associates | www.cosmeticdentistshouston.com