Hablamos Español

305-447-1447
Contact Us

Dr. John Paul Gallardo

Periodontics and Implant Dentistry

  • About
    • Meet Dr. Gallardo
    • Our Office
    • Our Bilingual Office
    • In The News
    • What Are My Options?
    • Why us
    • Location
  • Dental Emergency
  • Services
    • Dental Implants
      • Implants Overview
      • Dental Implant Repair
      • Dentures Vs. Implants
      • Single Tooth Replacement
      • Multiple Teeth Replacement
      • Full Teeth Replacement
      • All-on-4® Implants
      • Metal-Free Dental Implants
      • Teethxpress
      • Implant Failure Treatment
    • Gum Treatments
      • The Pinhole Surgical Technique
      • Laser Periodontal Therapy
      • Alloderm
      • Non-Surgical Methods
      • Periodontal Plastic Surgery
    • Cosmetic & Hygiene
      • Dental Crown Lengthening
      • Laser Gum Depigmentation
      • Lip Repositioning
      • Teeth Cleaning
      • Invisalign
      • Periodontally Accelerated Osteogenic Orthodontics
      • Professional Teeth Whitening
    • Oral Surgery
      • Bone Grafting
      • Jaw Surgery
      • Treatment Options
      • TMJ Disorder
      • Wisdom Teeth Removal
    • Technology Offered
      • Plasma Rich Growth Factors
      • Sedation Dentistry
      • Oral Cancer Screening
      • Oral DNA Testing
    • Endodontics
      • Dental Bridges
      • Dental Crowns
      • Full & Partial Dentures
      • Root Canal Treatment
      • Tooth Extraction
  • Photos
  • Reviews
    • RealSelf Reviews
    • Online Reviews
    • Solution Reach Reviews
    • Testimonial Videos
  • For Patients
    • Common Questions
    • Virtual Consultation
    • Out of Town Patients
    • Dental Financing
    • Dental Warranty
    • Educational Videos
    • Medical History Form
    • Patient Referral
    • Pre & Post-Operative Instructions
    • Registration Form
    • Pay Your Bill Online
  • For Dentists
    • Patient Referral
    • Newsletter
    • Why You Should Trust Us
CALL
EMAIL

Maintaining Oral Health During Cancer Therapy

Maintaining Oral Health During Cancer Therapy

Oral Cancer

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 30,000 Americans are diagnosed with mouth and throat cancers each year. Oral cancer can affect any area of the oral cavity including the lips, gum tissues, check lining, and the hard or soft palate.

As with many forms of cancer, early detection can improve the chances of successful treatment. By taking a few minutes to examine your entire mouth, you’re taking an active role in detecting signs of oral cancer early.

To minimize the risk of developing oral cancer, avoid all forms of tobacco and heavy use of alcohol.

Cancer therapy can cause oral complications that compromise periodontal health, so a visit to your periodontist is important to help keep your gums healthy during this difficult time.

Oral Complications

Common side effects of cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation to the head and neck, and bone marrow transplantation can negatively impact your overall health and quality of life. Radiation and chemotherapy kill cancer cells, but they can also hurt normal cells. Complications vary for every person, but common complications include:

  • Inflamed gums and mouth ulcers
  • Dry mouth
  • Difficulty speaking, chewing, and swallowing
  • Erosion of tooth enamel
  • Loss of taste
  • Jaw stiffness
  • Delayed healing
  • The Perio-Cardio Connection

Pretreatment Evaluation and Daily Oral Hygiene Routine

Before beginning your cancer treatment, an oral evaluation by a periodontist is important. Identifying and correcting potential problems in your mouth may prevent them from intensifying or interfering with your cancer treatment. In addition to pretreatment care, your periodontist will probably recommend a daily oral hygiene routine. This routine will provide comfort, reduce the risk of infection, and minimize the effects of the complications caused by the cancer treatment.

Special Considerations

Even though pretreatment and daily oral hygiene can go a long way toward keeping your mouth healthy and comfortable during cancer treatment, sometimes it is hard to keep the negative effects at bay.

Chemotherapy and radiation can decrease your salivary secretion causing excessive dryness in the mouth, and a dry mouth can increase your susceptibility to infection. Therefore, it is important to keep your mouth moist by sipping cool water, melting ice chips in your mouth, chewing sugarless gum, applying lip balm to your lips, and using a humidifier in your bedroom to reduce oral dryness at night.

If a dry mouth or vomiting is a side effect of your cancer treatment, then it is important to protect your enamel (the outer surface of the tooth). Your periodontist can prescribe fluoride trays, which will prevent the tooth enamel wearing away as a result of vomiting or increased oral bacteria from dry mouth. You may also want to consider asking your oncologist to prescribe anti-nausea medication during your cancer therapy to treat nausea and vomiting.

The relat ionship wi th your periodontist is as important after your cancer therapy as it is before and during your treatments. This continued relationship will help you maintain a comfortable, confident smile for years.

Contact Us

  • By submitting this form I agree to the Terms of Use.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Before All-on-4 ® Dental Implants photo After All-on-4 ® Dental Implants photo
View more All-on-4 ® Dental Implants before and after photos

Reviews

  • My experience with Dr. Gallardo was great. I had no pain after my tooth extraction and bone grafting procedure. I was pleased with how fast my…

    • 5 stars
  • Amazing! Removed my 4 wisdom teeth, had no pain and didn't get swollen at all after.

    • 5 stars
  • I recently had a tooth extraction with bone graft. Dr. Gallardo was excellent! I'm so glad I found him online. My recovery went really smoothly…

    • 5 stars

Our Doctors Are Featured In

Modern Luxury Miami

Univision

Quick Links

  • About
  • Blog
  • Services
  • Gallery
  • Reviews
  • For Patients
  • Patient Referral
  • Contact Us

Contact Details

  • 2020 SW 27th Ave Miami,
    Florida 33145
  • 305-447-1447

Location Map

Location Map

Proud of our Reputation

RealSelf
Yelp
Healthgrades

© Copyright 2020. Dr. John Paul Gallardo. Periodontics and Implant Dentistry.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Sitemap