Taking care of your mouth during and after treatment

There are several things you can do to take care of your mouth during and after cancer treatment.

Learn more about:

• Cleaning
• Keeping your mouth moist
• Managing pain and difficult eating
• When to contact your doctor

Cleaning

• Rinse your mouth several times a day – ask your treatment team what type of alcohol-free or homemade mouthwash to use and how often to use it.
• If you wear dentures, make sure they fit properly. Take them out after eating and clean them well. Keep them dry when you’re not wearing them.
• Clean your teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush and replace regularly (at least every 3 months) to prevent infection. Use a mild fluoride toothpaste recommended by your dentist.
• Avoid whitening toothpastes, which may irritate your mouth and gums.
• If your mouth is too sore to brush, or bleeds when you clean your teeth, rinse it using the mouthwashes recommended by your treatment team.

Keep your mouth moist

• Drink 6–8 glasses of water and other fluids throughout the day. Try sugar-free cordial, diluted juices, milky drinks and herbal tea. Carry a water bottle with you and take frequent sips.
• Limit how much caffeine you drink (e.g. from coffee, tea, energy drinks or soft drinks).
• Consider using a cool mist humidifier at night. This can be helpful if you have a very dry mouth – check with your treatment team.
• Suck on ice chips, ice blocks or soft sugar-free sweets, or use sugar-free chewing gum.
• Keep lips moist with a lip balm containing beeswax, shea butter or plant-based oils. Avoid lip balms based on petroleum jelly.
• If you find swallowing difficult, talk to a speech pathologist. You can also try using artificial saliva or oral moisturisers.

Manage pain and difficulty eating

• Take pain medicine as prescribed, particularly before meals, so that eating is less painful.
• Eat foods that are soft, moist and easy to swallow, such as rice, mashed potatoes, mashed vegetables, tinned fruit, minced or slow cooked meat, chicken or fish, soup, scrambled eggs, yoghurt and custard.
• Choose nourishing drinks such as milk, milkshakes and smoothies. Use gravies and sauces to moisten foods and add flavour.
• Avoid foods that irritate your mouth or cause discomfort. These may include rough, crunchy or dry foods (e.g. chips, nuts, toast, crackers), vinegar, spices, salty foods, alcohol, very hot or very cold foods and drinks, and citrus or tangy tomato-based food and juice.
• Try to stop smoking as it will irritate your mouth and make dryness worse.
• Drink through a straw if you have mouth sores. Metal straws may add a metallic taste so paper or plastic straws may be better.
• Try to eat a well-balanced diet including foods from the five major food groups.
• Ask a dietitian or speech pathologist what you can eat to reduce discomfort and help you stay well nourished.

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