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Guidelines & Advice
About Guidelines Email Guidelines Team

Mouth Care During Cancer Treatment

What you need to know about mouth problems

  • Dry mouth, mouth sores and taste changes are common when you are getting cancer treatments.
  • Mouth problems can start at any time during your cancer treatments.
  • Mouth problems usually get better or go away after you finish your treatment.
  • If you have cancer in the head and neck, you may need extra help to manage mouth problems. Talk to your health care team.

What to do to prevent mouth problems

  • Keep your teeth, gums and mouth clean and moist at all times.
  • Before you start your treatment, have a checkup with your dentist (if possible).
  • Report any mouth problems to your health care team.
  • Drink 6 to 8 cups of liquids per day, unless you have been told otherwise.
  • Avoid things that irritate your mouth like acidic, spicy, or hard and crunchy foods.
  • Avoid tobacco products (such as cigarettes, cigars, vaping) and alcohol. Ask your health care team for help with quitting smoking.

When to contact your health care team

Contact your health care team if you have trouble swallowing, a sore throat or if your mouth is so sore that you cannot eat or drink.

Contact your health care team right away or go to the nearest emergency department if you have a fever. Fever is oral (mouth) temperature above 38.3°C (100.9°F) at any time, OR above 38.0°C (100.4°F) for at least one hour.

How to care for your mouth when getting cancer treatments

Brushing

  • Use a small, soft bristle, rounded-end toothbrush.
  • Brush your teeth, tongue and gums after eating and before bed.
  • Rinse your toothbrush in hot water to soften the bristles before using it.
  • Change your toothbrush when the bristles are not standing up straight.

Rinsing

  • Use a homemade mouth rinse to rinse your mouth.
  • Rinse, swish and spit with a homemade mouth rinse (recipe below) several times after brushing, eating and as needed.
  • Do not rinse with club soda. It is acidic and can irritate your mouth.
  • If you use store-bought mouthwash, make sure it is alcohol-free. Ask your health care team to recommend a mouthwash if you have questions.
  • How to make a homemade mouth rinse

How to make a homemade mouth rinse

Mix together:

  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 4 cups (1 litre) of water

Make the rinse fresh every day and keep it at room temperature for a maximum of 24 hours.

Flossing

  • Keep up with your regular flossing routine if you usually floss. Aim to floss at least once per day with waxed floss.
  • If you are not used to flossing, an interdental toothbrush (small brush designed to go between teeth) or a water flosser brush (like Waterpik) are safe options to clean between your teeth.
  • Stop flossing if your gums bleed more than normal and you have trouble stopping the bleeding. Contact your health care team if this happens.

Dentures

  • Remove your dentures, plates and prostheses before cleaning your mouth.
  • Brush and rinse your dentures after meals and at bedtime and any other time you remove them.
  • Do not wear your dentures more than 16 hours a day. Take them out when you are sleeping.

Prevent dry mouth

  • To help prevent and relieve dry mouth, rinse your mouth with mouth rinse every 1 to 2 hours.
  • Apply mouth lubricant (like Biotene Oralbalance Gel®) after you brush your teeth, at bedtime and as needed.
  • Spray your mouth with mouth rinse, water or artificial saliva products (like Moi-Stir Spray® or Biotene products) as needed to keep it moist.
  • Do not use glycerin or lemon-glycerin swabs. They can dry your mouth.
  • Use sugarless gum or lozenges (like those sweetened with xylitol) as needed to help keep your mouth moist.
  • Use a steam vaporizer at night to help prevent and relieve nighttime dry mouth.

Lip Care

  • Keep your lips moisturized. Ask your health care team if you need advice about which lip balm to choose.
  • To protect your lips from the sun, use lip balm with SPF 30 or higher during the day.
  • Apply lip balm after brushing your teeth, at bedtime and as needed.
  • Do not touch any lip sores or lick your lips too often.
  • Limit sunlight and try to reduce stress if you have cold sores or have gotten them in the past.

Where to get more information

The Canadian Cancer Society is a trusted source of information.

Visit them at cancer.ca or phone 1-888-939-3333

For guides to help manage other symptoms, please see Managing Symptoms, Side Effects & Well-Being.