Chemotherapy and

Your

Mouth

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

National Institutes of Health

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
This booklet is part of the series, 

Oral Health, Cancer Care, and You: 

Fitting the Pieces Together, focused on 

managing and preventing oral complications 

of cancer treatment. The series was 

developed by the National Institute of 

Dental and Craniofacial Research in 

partnership with the National Cancer 

Institute, the National Institute of Nursing 

Research, and the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention.

For more information about oral 

complications of cancer treatment or 

to order free publications, contact:

National Institute of Dental and 

 Craniofacial Research

National Oral Health Information Clearinghouse

1 NOHIC Way

Bethesda, MD 20892–3500

1–866–232–4528

www.nidcr.nih.gov
1

Are You Being Treated 

With Chemotherapy 

for Cancer? 

If so, this booklet can help you. While 

chemotherapy helps treat cancer, it can 

also cause other things to happen in your 

body called side effects. Some of these 

problems affect the mouth and could 

cause you to delay or stop treatment. 

This booklet will tell you ways to help 

prevent mouth problems so you’ll get the 

most from your cancer treatment. 

To help prevent serious problems, 

see a dentist ideally 1 month before 

starting chemotherapy.

A dentist can help prevent mouth problems.
2

How Does 

Chemotherapy 

Affect the Mouth?

Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to treat 

cancer. These drugs kill cancer cells, but 

they may also harm normal cells, including 

cells in the mouth. Side effects include 

problems with your teeth and gums; the 

soft, moist lining of your mouth; and the 

glands that make saliva (spit). 

It’s important to know that side 

effects in the mouth can be serious. 

•	The side effects can hurt and make 

it hard to eat, talk, and swallow. 

•	You are more likely to get an infection, 

which can be dangerous when you are 

receiving cancer treatment.

•	If the side effects are bad, you may not 

be able to keep up with your cancer 

treatment. Your doctor may need to 

cut back on your cancer treatment or 

may even stop it.
3

What Mouth 

Problems Does 

Chemotherapy Cause?

You may have certain side effects in your 

mouth from chemotherapy. Another 

person may have different problems. The 

problems depend on the chemotherapy 

drugs and how your body reacts to 

them. You may have these problems only 

during treatment or for a short time after 

treatment ends. 

•	Painful mouth and gums. 

•	Dry mouth. 

•	Burning, peeling, or 

swelling tongue. 

•	Infection. 

•	Change in taste. 

You can see or feel most of these problems. 

Check your mouth every day.
4

Why Should I See 

a Dentist?

You may be surprised that your dentist 

is important in your cancer treatment. 

If you go to the dentist before 

chemotherapy begins, you can help 

prevent serious mouth problems. Side 

effects often happen because a person’s 

mouth is not healthy before chemotherapy 

starts. Not all mouth problems can be 

avoided but the fewer side effects you have, 

the more likely you will stay on your cancer 

treatment schedule. 

It’s important for your dentist and 

cancer doctor to talk to each other 

about your cancer treatment. Be sure 

to give your dentist your cancer doctor’s 

phone number.

When Should I See a Dentist?

You need to see the dentist 1 month, 

if possible, before chemotherapy 

begins. If you have already started 

chemotherapy and didn’t go to a dentist, 

see one as soon as possible.
5

What Will the 

Dentist and Dental 

Hygienist Do?

•	Check and clean your teeth.

•	Take x-rays.

•	Take care of mouth problems.

•	 Show you how to take care of your 

mouth to prevent side effects.

The dentist will do a complete exam.
6

What Can I Do To Keep 

My Mouth Healthy?

You can do a lot to keep your mouth 

healthy during chemotherapy. The first 

step is to see a dentist before you 

start cancer treatment. Once your 

treatment starts, it’s important to look in 

your mouth every day for sores or other 

changes. These tips can help prevent and 

treat a sore mouth:

Keep your mouth moist.

•	Drink a lot of water.

•	 Suck ice chips.

•	Use sugarless gum 

or sugar-free 

hard candy.

•	Use a saliva 

substitute to help 

moisten your mouth. 
7

Clean your mouth, tongue, and gums.

•	Brush your teeth, gums, and tongue with 

an extra-soft toothbrush after every meal 

and at bedtime. If brushing hurts, soften 

the bristles in warm water.

•	Use a fluoride toothpaste.

•	Don’t use mouthwashes 

with alcohol in them.

•	 Floss your teeth gently 

every day. If your gums 

bleed and hurt, avoid 

the areas that are 

bleeding or sore, but 

keep flossing your 

other teeth.

•	Rinse your 

mouth several 

times a day with a solution of 1⁄4 teaspoon 

each of baking soda and salt in one quart 

of warm water. Follow with a plain 

water rinse.

•	Dentures that don’t fit well can cause 

problems. Talk to your cancer doctor 

or dentist about your dentures.
8

If Your Mouth Is Sore, Watch 

What You Eat and Drink.

•	Choose foods that are good for you 

and easy to chew and swallow. 

•	Take small bites of food, chew slowly, 

and sip liquids with your meals.

•	Eat soft, moist foods such as 

cooked cereals, mashed potatoes, 

and scrambled eggs.

•	If you have trouble swallowing, soften 

your food with gravy, sauces, broth, 

yogurt, or other liquids.

Sipping liquids with your meals will make 

eating easier.
9

Call Your Doctor or Nurse When 

Your Mouth Hurts.

•	Work with them to find medicines 

to help control the pain.

•	If the pain continues, talk to 

your cancer doctor about 

stronger medicines.

Remember To Stay Away From

•	 Sharp, crunchy foods, like taco chips, 

that could scrape or cut 

your mouth.

•	 Foods that are hot, spicy, 

or high in acid, like citrus 

fruits and juices, which 

can irritate your mouth.

•	 Sugary foods, like candy 

or soda, that could 

cause cavities.

•	Toothpicks, because 

they can cut 

your mouth.

•	All tobacco products.

•	Alcoholic drinks.
10

Do Children Get 

Mouth Problems Too?

Chemotherapy causes other side effects 

in children, depending on the child’s age. 

Problems with teeth are the most common. 

Permanent teeth may be slow to come in 

and may look different from normal teeth. 

Teeth may fall out. The dentist will check 

your child’s jaws for any growth problems. 

Before chemotherapy begins, take 

your child to a dentist. The dentist 

will check your child’s mouth carefully and 

pull loose teeth or those that may become 

loose during treatment. Ask the dentist or 

hygienist what you can do to help your 

child with mouth care.

Your child has special dental needs.
11

Remember:

•	Visit your dentist before your 

cancer treatment starts.

•	Take good care of your mouth 

during treatment.

•	Talk regularly with your cancer doctor 

and dentist about any mouth problems 

you have. 

Call your cancer doctor or dentist if 

you have any mouth problems.
Acknowledgments

The individuals listed here provided assistance in developing 

and reviewing all of the publications in this series. The National 

Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and its partners 

would like to thank them for their contributions.

Scientific Committee

Gerry Barker, RDH, MA

University of Missouri-Kansas City

Kansas City, MO 

Susan L. Beck, PhD, RN, APRN, FAAN, AOCN

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, UT

Marylin J. Dodd, PhD, RN, FAAN

University of California, San Francisco

San Francisco, CA

Joel Epstein, DMD, MSD, FRCD

University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago, IL

Philip Fox, DDS

Spello, Italy

Deborah B. McGuire, PhD, RN, FAAN

University of Maryland

Baltimore, MD

Douglas E. Peterson, DMD, PhD

University of Connecticut 

Farmington, CT 

Mark M. Schubert, DDS, MSD

University of Washington

Seattle, WA

John R. Wingard, MD

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL

Publications in the Oral Health, Cancer Care, and You

series include:

For Patients

Chemotherapy and Your Mouth

Quimioterapia y la boca 

Head and Neck Radiation Treatment and Your Mouth 

Su boca y el tratamiento de radiación en la cabeza y el cuello

Three Good Reasons to See a Dentist 

BEFORE Cancer Treatment

Tres buenas razones para ver a un dentista 

ANTES de comenzar el tratamiento contra el cáncer 

Three Good Reasons to See a Dentist 

BEFORE Cancer Treatment 

(illustrated booklet for adults with limited reading skills) 

For Health Professionals

Dental Provider’s Oncology Pocket Guide

Oral Complications of Cancer Treatment: 

What the Dental Team Can Do

Oncology Pocket Guide to Oral Health 

Oral Complications of Cancer Treatment: 

What the Oncology Team Can Do 

Order free publications online at www.nidcr.nih.gov 

and click on “Oral Health,” or call toll-free 

1–866–232–4528.
National Institute of Dental 

and Craniofacial Research

Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention
National Institute of Dental 

and Craniofacial Research National Institute of Dental

and Craniofacial Research

National Oral Health 

Information Clearinghouse

1 NOHIC Way

Bethesda, MD 20892–3500

1–866–232–4528

www.nidcr.nih.gov

This publication is not copyrighted. 

Make as many photocopies as you need.

U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services

National Institutes of Health

NIH Publication No. 09–4361

Reprinted September 2009