Oral Complications
Oral complications of cancer therapy are the result of:
- The surgical removal of anatomical structures of the head and neck
- The effect of chemotherapy agents on bone marrow (myelosuppression) and the direct toxic effects on the cells lining the mouth and throat
- The tissue changes associated with total body radiation or therapeutic radiation to the head and neck
- Your body’s response to allogenic (donor) bone marrow transplant (BMT) and the associated immunosuppressive drug therapy that is given
- The side effects of the drugs used as adjuvant therapy during cancer treatment
Oral complications of cancer therapy include:
- Inflammation and/or ulceration of the mucous membranes (mucositis)
- Infection
- Loss of minerals from the teeth (dental demineralization) that increases tooth sensitivity
- Cavities (caused by the reduction in quality and quantity of saliva)
- Tooth loss
- Changes in or loss of your sense of taste (hypogeusia/dysgeusia)
- Poor nutritional status (malnutrition from loss of the ability or desire to eat the basic requirements to maintain nutritional health)
- Decrease in your ability to chew, speak or swallow (functional disabilities)
- Abnormal dental development (for children)
- Dry mouth (xerostomia)
- Accumulation of mucous (caused by the shut down of your salivary glands)
