Treatment
When you start to experience oral health issues due to leukemia, treatment focuses on leukemia and not the secondary mouth issues.
Treatment options for leukemia will vary depending on the person’s age, overall health, and type of Leukemia the person has. Treatment options include:
- chemotherapy [4]
- radiation therapy [5]
- Medications for specific types of therapy, such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors for chronic myeloid leukemia
- monoclonal antibody therapy, the help your immune system fight the cancer more effectively
- Stem cell transplant [6]
Your doctor may also recommend anti nausea drugs to help with certain side effects of chemotherapy. There are also treatment options to help support the immune system, such as antibiotics and blood transfusion if needed.
If necessary your doctor may refer you to your dentist if you are experiencing any oral health issues such as infection or tooth decay. Some oral health treatment options may include:
- Frequent mouth rinses
- More frequent dental appointments
- Dental procedures to treat gum infection
- Antibiotics to treat sores and other injuries in the mouth
- Antifungal medication to treat fungal infection in the mouth
- Pain medication to treat mouth sores
Conclusion
If you are having bleeding gums, it is likely that you have other health issues that extend beyond your mouth. This is why it is best to immediately contact your doctor or dentist if you notice your gum bleeding. It may be a symptom of certain types of leukemia or other health issues.
References
[1] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21871-white-blood-cells
[2] https://www.cancer.org/cancer/acute-myeloid-leukemia/about/what-is-aml.html
[3] https://www.healthline.com/health/chlorhexidine-mouthwash
[4] https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/chemotherapy/about/pac-20385033
[5] https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/radiation-therapy/about/pac-20385162
[6] https://www.lls.org/treatment/types-treatment/stem-cell-transplantation