The Dental Hygienist's Role in Cancer Care
Cancer treatment comes with a range of oral implications. But dental professionals can prepare patients for what to expect and ease their side effects to keep quality of life as high as possible.
When I was 19, my father was diagnosed with brain cancer. As a family, we anticipated the tiredness and nausea. What surprised us was the intensity of his oral side effects. At the time, I was not a dental hygienist … not even a dental hygiene student. I wish I knew then what I know now and had sought advice from our family dentist, but we leaned on the medical team providing my father’s care. The cancer care was circular, and the oral issues that followed would go unresolved. They were chalked up to “this just happens”; I felt helpless in the situation.
I believe many of us are familiar with this feeling, even if not from an experience with a direct family member. When a patient tells us they are about to undergo cancer treatment, we innately want to help. In dentistry, there’s a big focus on oral cancer for obvious reasons...
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When I was 19, my father was diagnosed with brain cancer. As a family, we anticipated the tiredness and nausea. What surprised us was the intensity of his oral side effects. At the time, I was not a dental hygienist … not even a dental hygiene student. I wish I knew then what I know now and had sought advice from our family dentist, but we leaned on the medical team providing my father’s care. The cancer care was circular, and the oral issues that followed would go unresolved. They were chalked up to “this just happens”; I felt helpless in the situation.
I believe many of us are familiar with this feeling, even if not from an experience with a direct family member. When a patient tells us they are about to undergo cancer treatment, we innately want to help. In dentistry, there’s a big focus on oral cancer for obvious reasons...
Click Here to Read More