Teeth, Chemo, Cutting Sugar, and Keto
Oh My!
This past week I went to the dentist, the hubs goes tomorrow, and our bright eyed 4 year old went today. She LOVED it!
Keep smiling sister!
I was a bit anxious it has been a good while since I was in ‘the chair’ and really I was a bit anxious. The longer you put off the dentist the odds of serious scraping and further discomforts only increase. But the reality is, life happens. Back I went through my chemo lesson (this is when you are sat down and given a large booklet before round #1) there is a list of to-do’s and and definite to-don’ts. Right up there with no crowd events, wear mask while flying, wash hands often, don’t get pregnant, was NO DENTIST.
Seriously. Not during treatment.
The nurse told me if I needed to go I would HAVE to clear it with them. And likely that answer would be no. We all have heard how dirty people’s mouths are and oncologist don’t want to add mouth infection on to a patient’s chart as well.
I’m a good student; so of course I listened. But then after chemo was surgery then expanders followed by a finish up surgery make things “normal-ish.” Again, the fear of infection pushes lesser pressing things, like going to the dentist, down the taking care of yourself totem pole.
But get this, last week I was told, “No cavities.” NOT. ONE.
This is kinda a big deal for me. For a few years(before my little dentist hiatus) it was a given, would go in for a cleaning and would be walk out with a follow up filling appointment OR maybe 2. I had come to believe that I just had wimpy teeth.
The reality is my teeth are great-Strong like Bull. But the sugar in my diet was even stronger.
Make that Grass Fed Bull (Guess where he is now…)
Even though I was bushing and floss like a normal and maybe even not so normal(for years I have kept floss in my purse and car at all times.) I was still getting cavities, it was not until I changed my diet and really cut out sugar, the obvious and the not so obvious, did my dental reality change.
Chemo can cause major side effects on your entire body and but your mouth can really be one of the hardest hit. The effects of the drugs can cause serious dry mouth, mouth pain, bleeding gums, infection, etcetera. Fun Stuff.
It was not until I changed my intake of SUGAR that my dental issues subsided. I have not wavered on my dedication to this way of life, but getting the all clear from the man holding the tooth drill gave me another reason to fall in love with our lifestyle all over again.
