What can I do to prevent mouth sores?

Although there's no sure way to prevent mouth sores, you can lower your risk. Talk to your health care provider about your risk of mouth sores and what you can do.

Your provider might recommend that you:

• Get a dental checkup. Visit your dentist before you begin cancer treatment. Make sure to take care of any current issues with your mouth. These can include gum disease, cavities or teeth that need to be pulled. Any pain or infections in your mouth will get worse after you begin treatment. Continue regular dental checkups during treatment, especially if you have mouth sores.
• Tell your provider if you have a history of mouth sores. If you've had mouth sores in the past, tell your provider. For example, tell your provider if you've had mouth sores caused by herpes simplex virus. Your provider might recommend medicine to prevent those types of mouth sores from happening during cancer treatment.

• Take care of your teeth. Brush your teeth and rinse your mouth several times a day. Check the labels on mouthwashes and don't use alcohol-based products.

  Floss every day, especially after eating. Develop a routine for your mouth care now. That will make it easier to continue during your treatment.

• Stop smoking. If you smoke, quit. Smoking during treatment will make it harder for your mouth to heal itself.
• Eat a diet with lots of fruits and vegetables. Choose a diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables. You'll need the vitamins and nutrients they provide to help your body fight infections during treatment.

Your provider may recommend other ways to reduce your risk of mouth sores, such as:

• Using ice or water to keep your mouth cold. During certain types of chemotherapy treatment, it might help to swish ice chips or cold water around in your mouth. The cold limits the amount of treatment that reaches your mouth. This can lower your risk of mouth sores.
• Medicine. Medicines to lower the risk of mouth sores might be an option for people having certain cancer treatments. These medicines might help those having bone marrow transplants or certain targeted therapy treatments.