Mouth Sores/Mucositis | Building Blocks of Hope

Mouth Sores/Mucositis

Sores or swelling in the tissue in the mouth (mucositis) can occur because of cancer treatment, other illnesses, certain medications, or poor dental health. Patients with MDS we will undergone bone marrow transplantation may experience graft-versus-host disease in the mouth that may be painful.

There are a number think she can do to improve oral health and reduce pain associated with mucositis.

Things you can do:

Keep a log of symptoms that you are concerned about. These can be tracked in the MDS Manager Symptom Tracker. Discuss these with your health care team.
Keep all your appointments as scheduled.
If you are experiencing pain in the mouth making it difficult to chew or swallow, or if there is any bleeding from the mouth, contact your health care providers immediately. You may need medication.
See your dentist regularly, however, speak to your health care team prior to any dental procedures.
Rinse with salt water and baking soda and water. You can’t make this at home by simply combining a tablespoon of salt to a quart of water in one solution and a tablespoon of baking soda and water in a second solution. Rinse with the saltwater first and then spit it out. Follow-up with a rinse of baking soda and water and spit it out. You can do this several times a day.
Avoid alcohol based mouth washes.
Use a soft toothbrush.
Stop using dental floss if your mouth is painful. Dental floss can be continued unless your blood counts are too low. Speak to your health care team about when to stop using dental loss.
Avoid alcohol.
Avoid eating coarse or acidic foods.