Is it ok for a person to start chemotherapy if they have bad tooth aches?

My daughter will be starting chemo tomorrow for breast cancer treatment. She was suppose to have started chemo two weeks ago, but her oncologist delayed her treatment for another 2 weeks because she has tooth aches on the whole left side of her mouth from eating alot of sweets. Her oncologist said that if she starts chemo while she is having tooth aches it can be life threating and can cause her an infection. I would like to know is this true because it doesn't make any sense at all to me? I don't see what does her tooth have to do with her starting chemotherapy treatment. My daughter needs $1338 dollars right now for all the dental work that she needs done and unfornately, her assurance does not cover the cost. Dentist said that she needs to get in to see a dental hygenist right away, but like I said she can't afford it. Can chemo life threating if she doesn't have a teeth treated right away? And serious answers only please.

Is it ok for a person to start chemotherapy if they have bad tooth aches?
Chemo weakens your immune system. If your daughter has any abscess (infections at the root of the teeth) on any of those teeth causing her issues, that infection could spread like wildfire.





If the abscesses get out of control--which can happen within hours--the infection can enter her bloodstream and kill her. It is a very serious matter.





She should at least go to a free dental clinic and be x-rayed and examined. Otherwise, the life-saving chemotherapy she is about to begin may actually help end her life.
Reply:my mom's going thru chemo. i feel for you!


maybe if her tooth/teeth are infected now...it could be harmful, because chemo knocks out your white count %26amp; you're WAY more sucseptible to infections. That's the only thing i can think of myself.


good luck to both of you. it's really hard to watch someone you love go thru chemo.


Hugs!