Also, textured foods, such as purees and soft foods, may be necessary for those patients with chewing and swallowing problems. Nutritional supplements can help in many cases. Then neutrons and neutron radiotherapy are described. In cases where the malignant tumor is large enough so that conventional surgery and radiation causes excess morbidity, neutron radiotherapy can greatly increase the control rate and the ability of damaged cells to recover. It is available at specially designed centers at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle and at Harper-Grace Hospital in Detroit.
Prospective patients undergo extensive evaluation and appropriate radiation fields are designed.
Treatment consists of 16 sessions over four weeks. The author covers the basics of salivary gland anatomy and physiology, the onset of xerostomia in the oral cancer patient as a consequence of radiation therapy, treatment of chronic xerostomia, the need for ongoing dental care to help manage any dental consequences of xerostomia, and xerostomia related to chemotherapy. The author reiterates that salivary fluid provides an important environment for maintenance of oral health and with its loss, appropriate measures must be taken to maintain oral function, health, and esthetics. In this article the author discusses ways to tap the benefits of laughter and humor and increase your positive mental and physical resources. It is a relatively common condition in which a patient's mouth opening becomes restricted.