Together informs health care providers and patients about what they can do to reduce the risk and impact of oral complications. The goals of the campaign are to inform oncology and oral health professionals about the oral complications of cancer treatment, to encourage communication between oncology and oral health care providers, and to give patients the tools they need to be active participants in their cancer care. Preventing and managing oral complications provide an excellent example of how dentistry and medicine can work together in partnership - and the winner is the patient. Oral complications can result from all forms of cancer treatment, including radiation to the head and neck, chemotherapy for any type of cancer, and bone marrow transplantation. Oral side effects may be acute, or they may last a lifetime.
Oral complications can affect cancer treatment as well.
These conditions can be so debilitating that patients may tolerate only lower, less effective doses of anticancer drugs, may postpone scheduled treatments, or may discontinue treatment entirely. Oral side effects can also be the source of systemic infections that may interfere with cancer therapy and even threaten patient survival. Also, this supportive care helps circumvent some of the overwhelming anxiety associated with cancer treatment. The patient is a key player in maintaining oral health during cancer treatment. Campaign materials for patients explain the importance of seeing a dentist to ensure a healthy mouth before cancer treatment begins and how to care for the mouth during and after radiation or chemotherapy to help prevent complications.