Dental peeps, this one is super personal… what happens when oral care is overlooked in cancer patients? We see these patients in our ops, but what happens when that patient is your Dad?
My dad... My patient
In this episode of the Tooth or Dare Podcast, I share the story of my father’s battle with cancer and the parts of care that too often get missed.
It began with the kind of phone call no one is ever ready for:
“Your dad is coughing blood.” While I'm elbow deep in a 6mm pocket during an SRP.
From that moment on, life changed quickly. Emergency visits. Hospital admissions. A diagnosis that had likely been developing quietly for some time.
The truth is, many lung cancers are not found until they are already advanced.
But this episode is about more than the diagnosis and the outcome being tragic. It is also about something rarely talked about enough: oral health during cancer treatment. What I learned, what we created and how I shared it with the folks at the Cancer Center.
If you want the same download, you can grab it here: Oral Cancer Products Digital Download from Toothlife.ca
We discuss:
⚪ How life can change in a single moment
⚪ Warning signs that were easy to dismiss: chronic headaches, rapid weight loss, persistent coughing
⚪ The emotional reality of watching a parent go through cancer
⚪ My memories of my dad: motorcycle rides, soccer, scuba diving, and the bond we shared. #1 dental dad.
⚪ How families can be close, yet still silent about health concerns
⚪ What hospitals commonly recommend for oral care during treatment
⚪ Why “rinse with baking soda four times a day” is not enough
Clinical + real-world insight:
⚪ A firsthand look at how oral health can be overlooked in hospital settings
⚪ The absence of dental professionals on many cancer care teams
⚪ Four separate hospital admissions within 4 months and oral hygiene was never meaningfully addressed
⚪ The effects of radiation and cancer treatment can have on the mouth
⚪ Why preventive oral care should be part of treatment planning from day one
At its core, this is not a story about my loss. It is a call to do better, and perhaps for us dental people who have not seen this journey firsthand to trust me and talk about this with our patients and teams.
Oral health is connected to overall health. Always has been, not new news to us, but to the folks at the hospital, I was speaking gibberish, apparently.
And when that connection is ignored in critical care, patients feel the consequences even if they don't know it. Increased risks of infections, lower immune response... the list goes on, and we discuss that here.
A simple takeaway: Awareness → Advocacy → Integration
Because patients deserve complete care, and that includes the mouth, too.
If you made it all the way down here, hit a like and share a comment. Until next time, Peace out peeps! ✌️
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Apr 16 202626 Min.