The following daily steps will help your mouth stay in good shape:
• Use a soft-bristle toothbrush and soften it more by soaking it in warm water. You may also find that brushing
with a paste of baking soda and water may be less irritating than commercial toothpaste.
• If brushing your teeth is painful, use either a cotton swab or commercial Toothettes, a sponge-tip stick
impregnated with a dentifrice.
• Avoid commercial mouthwashes. Some of these have ingredients (especially alcohol) that can irritate your
mouth even more. Lemon glycerin swabs may make your mouth feel clean but they are not recommended,
because glycerin will make your mouth drier.
• A Water-Pik to cleanse your mouth is helpful.
• Peridex (oral rinse) will help gum inflammation and bleeding.
Dry Mouth Chemotherapy and radiation to the salivary glands can make your mouth very dry. This can make your mucositis or mouth sores more painful, so you should do everything you can to keep your mouth moist.
• Commercial preparations such as Moistir or MouthKot—an oral natural saliva substitute—may help.
• You can make your own mouthwash with liquid Xylocaine, baking soda and salt dissolved in 1 quart (1 L) of
water.
• Sucking sour lemon hard candies or Tic Tacs can help. You can also suck on popsicles or flavored or plain ice
