- Have a dental check-up before treatment begins with a dentist who specialises in the effect radiation therapy has on teeth. Your radiation oncologist can provide a referral.
- Keep your mouth moist in between treatments by sucking on ice chips and sipping cool drinks. Carry a bottle of water with you.
- Ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist for information about artificial saliva to moisten your mouth.
- If you have a dry mouth, you may need to avoid rough, crunchy or dry foods (e.g. chips, nuts, toast, dry biscuits); salty or spicy foods that sting your mouth; or very hot or cold food. A dietitian can suggest ways to modify the texture of foods so they are easier to swallow.
- Avoid smoking, drinking alcohol or caffeinated drinks, and consuming citrus or tangy tomato-based food and juice, as they will irritate your mouth and make dryness worse.
- If chewing and swallowing are painful, try to have more liquids or soft food. Talk to a dietitian, who can suggest nourishing foods that will not hurt your mouth, or see Nutrition and cancer.
- If you have trouble swallowing, ask your doctor for a referral to a speech pathologist.
- To manage taste changes, try different ways of preparing food. For example, add lemon juice to meat and vegetables, marinate foods or add herbs.
- Talk to your doctor if eating is uncomfortable or difficult. If you are in pain, pain medicine may help with swallowing.
- Rinse your mouth regularly using an alcohol-free mouthwash recommended by your doctor or dentist.
- Saltwater is a natural disinfectant – you can make a saltwater mouthwash at home by dissolving ¼ teaspoon of salt into 1 cup of warm water. Rinse your mouth with plain water afterwards.
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Additional resources
Dr Madhavi Chilkuri, Radiation Oncologist, Townsville Cancer Centre, The Townsville Hospital, and Dean, RANZCR Faculty of Radiation Oncology, QLD; Polly Baldwin, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council SA; Patricia Hanley, Consumer; Prof Michael Hofman, Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Physician, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Leanne Hoy, Cancer Nurse Consultant, GenesisCare, VIC; Sharon King, Accredited Practising Dietitian, TAS; Dr Yoo Young (Dominique) Lee, Radiation Oncology Consultant, Princess Alexandra Hospital, QLD; Dr Wendy Phillips, Senior Medical Physicist, Department of Radiation Oncology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, SA; Katrina Rech, Radiation Therapist and Quality Systems Manager, GenesisCare, SA. We also thank the health professionals, consumers and editorial teams who have worked on previous editions of this title.
View the Cancer Council NSW editorial policy.
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Mouth health and cancer treatment
Here we look at the side effects of chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery or a combination of treatments that affect the mouth area