Radiotherapy and Dental Health

During radiation therapy, high doses of radiation are applied to destroy cancer cells. This can also negatively affect the mouth, teeth and masticatory muscles of patients. Specifically, radiation can cause changes in salivary glands causing dry mouth, infections and dental caries.

Trismus means the inability to open mouth completely or limited jaw range of motion and is frequently seen in patients undergoing therapy for head and neck cancer and decreases patient’s overall quality of life. The limited jaw range motion and reduced masticatory functions affect the daily activities of patients, such as eating, chewing, swallowing and speaking, depending on the degree of trismus. These effects can cause severe pain, weight loss and poor oral hygiene, leading to many other problems. Although there is no definite treatment for radiation-induced trismus, various treatment modalities have been used. For instance, stretching exercises are used to increase jaw’s range of motion. In case of urgent surgical intervention, the presence of trismus can become life-threatening since the patient cannot be intubated with ease.

The simplest way to determine if there is a limited jaw movement is to check whether your mouth can accommodate three fingers. If all the three fingers fit, the opening of the mouth is considered normal. However, if all the three fingers do not fit, trismus is likely to be diagnosed and the patient’s conditions should be evaluated by the doctor.