 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | I would suggest using a water pik on the lowest setting to help get anything you may miss when brushing your teeth. You would be surprised at how much is missed! Add a small amount of no-alcohol mouth wash to the warm water and that should help. Does your tongue have a whitish coating? If so, that could be thrush, your doc will need to prescribe antibiotics. Also just in case of something being medically wrong, change your toothbrush, you dont want to carry anything over day after day.
Every single day you must take in a minimum of 2500 calories and 48 oz of water. If you skimp here and there you are setting yourself up for malnutrition and dehydration which will result in a hospital stay. No matter how bad the taste gets, EAT and DRINK.
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive  | 
