Oral health post treatment

Welcome back everyone!  We hope you all enjoyed the holiday period (even though for most of us that feels like a distant memory...)

At today’s meeting we heard from Shae Beaton, an Oral Health Therapist at Peter Mac, who spoke to the major long term side effects of radiotherapy treatment, specifically dry mouth, or xerostomia. Dry mouth is primarily caused by damage to the salivary glands which can result in not only a profound lack of saliva, but also a significant drop in the quality of the saliva itself. This means that the risk of tooth decay is increased, possibly affecting multiple teeth at a time, and progression to decay can also be more rapid than normal, in some cases in as little as 3 months. The recommendation for those of us treated with radiotherapy is to use a high fluoride toothpaste for life, even if your mouth doesn’t feel especially dry. We discussed ways to manage dry mouth, including products such as Xylimelts and liquid sprays or gels to mimic saliva, and as Shae predicted, what worked for one person was not necessarily effective for another! The recommendation is to experiment and discover what is most effective for you. Discussions were engaging and energetic! (And for those of us who also suffer from dry lips as a result of our treatment, pure lanolin was recommended)

Afterwards, some of the topics we discussed included trismus (restricted mouth opening) and we heard from a member who is still struggling transitioning to solid foods and is looking for alternatives to Resource. Many shared their stories of (often very slow!) progress and encouragement. We also met a new member who is about to begin treatment (best wishes). 

Finally, We Are The Voice: A world record singalong of John Farnham songs is happening on March 13 at the Sydney Myer Music Bowl to support Australians affected by Head and Neck Cancer and to celebrate John Farnham's music. Head and Neck Cancer Australia is looking for volunteers (details below), and $10 from every sale goes to Head and Neck Cancer Australia so it's a great cause, one that is dear to so many of us. More details at https://www.headandneckcancer.org.au/get-involved/we-are-the-voice-a-world-record-singalong-of-john-farnham-songs/

Our next meeting is on March 2, and we are to be joined by Megan, one of Peter Mac’s Physiotherapists - please register here.