Surviving a cancer diagnosis and completing a successful chemotherapy treatment is cause for celebration. But after the celebration ends and life begins to return to its new normal, many chemotherapy patients are left feeling – and looking – very different than they used to.
“Chemotherapy can take a big toll on the mouth,” says Dr. Alexandra George, a cosmetic dentist from Wexford, Pennsylvania. “Not just during treatment, but permanently.”
According to Colgate.com, patients undergoing chemotherapy can expect to experience a host of oral health side effects, such as bleeding gums, dry mouth, infection and sensitivity of the mouth and gums. In some cases, patients may even experience tooth loss and damage to the enamel and roots of their teeth.
“A lot of the damage to the mouth during chemotherapy can really affect the smile post-chemo,” George says.
But the good news is that many dentists, like George herself, have a solution.
“Full-mouth reconstruction is a great option for cancer survivors. We can rebuild their smile and even make it more beautiful than it was before chemotherapy,” says George.
George says dentists use treatments ranging from orthodontics to dental implants and veneers to achieve the perfect smile, helping to restore the glow back to survivors’ faces.
Now that’s really something to smile about.
