If so, this booklet can help you. While radiation helps treat cancer, it can also cause other things to happen in your mouth called side effects. Some of these problems could cause you to delay or stop treatment. To help prevent serious problems, see a dentist at least 2 weeks before starting radiation. A dentist can help prevent mouth problems.
Doctors use radiation to treat cancer because it kills cancer cells.
But radiation to the head and neck can harm normal cells, including cells in the mouth. 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.