News > Have you had breast cancer surgery and are taking tamoxifen? Take care of your teeth!

Tooth loss in women with a history of breast cancer who receive tamoxifen, was reported in a study.

The study emphasized the need to plan oral health care and implement a prevention strategy in women with a history of breast cancer receiving tamoxifen.

Women on tamoxifen for more than 1 year had a higher mean number of missing teeth (13.99 teeth versus 10.45 teeth) than women on tamoxifen for a shorter time.

Also, the loss of more than 12 teeth was 2.75 times higher in women who received tamoxifen for more than a year.

Factors such as being over 65 years old, having fewer visits for oral care services and xerostomia (dry mouth) were associated with loss of more than 12 teeth.

The authors, based on the increasing the incidence of breast cancer, conclude that the long-term intake of tamoxifen to treat the above disease, may affect oral health through tooth loss.

The value of oral health

Dental caries, periodontitis and tooth loss are among the major public health problems.

Tooth loss is associated with age, smoking, alcohol consumption, various socio-economic factors and poor diet.

Tooth decay and periodontitis may worsen and can lead to tooth loss if not treated early.

Loss of teeth cause disruption in mouth functions, which ultimately has an impact on the type of food we will consume and the level of nutrition quality.

Furthermore, depending on the location of the missing teeth, we may feel dissatisfaction with our appearance, with a negative impact on our quality of life.

Source:

Sensever de Araujo F. et al. Association between tamoxifen and tooth loss in women with breast cancer. Supportive Care in Cancer 2022? 30:8193-8199.

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