Do you have dry mouth aka Xerostomia? Don’t lose hope! There are many products on the market to help. If one doesn’t work, try another until you find one that works! Avoid/decrease spicy, salty, sugary and acidic foods, caffeine and alcohol. If you consume, rinse with water or chew sugarless gum (xylitol if possible) to neutralize the pH. Chew food slowly and thoroughly to allow what saliva you do have to function optimally. Let me know which products work for you!
Download a 2-page extensive list of dry mouth products with links.
PDF DownloadBeating the Odds: A Story NOT Silenced by Oral Cancer
View Eva Grayzel’s full-length Keynote Presentation (56 min)
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Learn more about Eva at www.EvaGrayzel.com
Public Service Announcements on Oral Cancer
Eva Grayzel’s Public Service Announcement for the ADA (American Dental Association)
Additional Resources
Keynote presentation at the 2012 British Columbia Cancer Agency Annual Conference
Oral Cancer Foundation Patient Forum
This is my favorite forum. Ask any question you like and know answers by members of the forum will be monitored by professional researchers and doctors for validity.
The Oral Cancer Foundation
Understanding Oral Cancer
National Cancer Institute on Head and Neck Cancer
A comprehensive fact sheet on the why and how of oral, head and neck cancer.
OncoLink HNC, Penn Medicine
Thyroid, Head and Neck Cancer Foundation (THANC)
THANC developed The Head & Neck Cancer Guide as a comprehensive resource to help you and your loved ones understand and prepare for every step of the cancer journey.
American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery
If you have difficulty swallowing, feel like something is caught in your throat, one-sided pain in mouth or ear… these are symptoms that require a referral to an ENT. Oral Maxillofacial surgeons address the oral cavity. To prevent delay in diagnosis, see an ENT, preferably board certified with hospital privileges.
The Human Pappilloma Virus (HPV)
The HPV Connection, (OCF)
The human papilloma virus (HPV) is a double-stranded DNA virus that infects the epithelial cells of skin and mucosa. The moist epithelial surfaces (squamous cells) include all areas covered by skin and/or mucosa such as the mouth interior, throat, tongue, tonsils, vagina, cervix, vulva, penis (the urethra – the opening), and anus. Transmission of the virus occurs when these areas come into contact with a virus, allowing it to transfer between epithelial cells. While it is established now that sexual contacts, both conventional and oral, are means of transferring the HPV virus through direct skin to skin contact, it is still poorly understood what other transfer pathways may exist. It is highly unlikely that the virus can live for long on inanimate objects outside of a cell.
Epidemiology of Human Papillomavirus–Positive Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Journal of Clinical Oncology, September 8, 2015
HPV Infection in the Head and Neck Region and Its Stem Cells
Journal of Dental Research, 2015
HPV Vaccine Provides Protection at Multiple Sites, Even Among Some Previously Exposed
American Association for Cancer Research, April 2015
Researchers Discover Genetic Fingerprint of HPV Virus in some Head and Neck Cancers
Oral Cancer Foundation, January 2015
Oropharyngeal Cancer Epidemic and Human Papillomavirus, Emerging Infectious Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, November 2010
Can Saliva-Based HPV Tests Establish Cancer Risk and Guide Patient Management?
Mark W. Lingen, DDS, PhD Section Editor, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, September 2010
Human Papillomavirus and Survival of Patients with Oropharyngeal Cancer
The New England Journal of Medicine, July 2010
Can I get Oral Cancer from Oral Sex?
Mount Sinai Hospital, August 20011
This a great visual about HPV oral cancer and it’s symptoms. Worth a look!
Worth-the-read Articles
My Journey with Cancer: A Dental Hygienist’s Perspective
by Jennifer Cicci, RDH
CDHA Oral Health Canada Magazine, Spring 2015
Oral Cancer Screenings A Must, Say Malpractice Attorneys
Oral Cancer Foundation, March 2011
Failure to Diagnose and Delayed Diagnosis of Cancer: Medicolegal Issues
The Journal of the American Dental Association, December 2009
Importance of Radiation Oncologist Experience Among Patients With Head-and-Neck Cancer Treated With Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
American Society of Clinical Oncology, 2016
Oral Cancer Care Struggles with Three Misconceptions
by Jo-Anne Jones, RDH, MS
Dentistry Today, April 2016
For the Newly Diagnosed: Consider Dental Issues Before Beginning Cancer Treatment
Cure Magazine, December 2011.
Dental care before and during treatment is critical for future dental health. Be proactive to prevent future dental complication. I didn’t know anything about this. Just before radiation started, a medical professional asked me if my teeth were checked. It turns out, I needed a tooth pulled since there was no time to wait and see if the problem would resolve.
Oral Cancer Care Struggles with Three Misconceptions
by Jo-Anne Jones, RDH, MS
Dentistry Today, April 2016
Cancer Prevention and Treatment: The Dental Hygienists Role
by Cathy Draper, RDH, MS
Access Magazine, Nov 2010