Eating Tips for Oral Discomfort

Eating Tips for Oral Discomfort - Photo: 123Dentist

Let's learnn these tips to help with your oral discomfort.

Simple ways to make it easier to chew and swallow

• Cook foods until soft and tender (such as vegetables, rice, pasta, potatoes).

• Cook foods, such as meats, in liquids to help make them more moist and soft.

• Soften foods by soaking in soup or milk or dunking in warm beverages (such as cereal in milk, crackers in soup, and cookies in warm milk).

• Chop, mash, grind or blend foods with extra liquid (such as mashed potatoes with butter and milk, ground meat with gravy, blended fruit with cream).

• Add grated cheese or silken tofu to cooked vegetables, soups and casseroles.

• Drink extra liquid with each bite of food if your mouth is dry.

• Eat or drink foods and liquids that are at room temperature if hot or cold temperatures hurt.

• Use a straw to drink if you have sores in your mouth. This can help direct the liquids past the sores. Do NOT use a straw if your health care team has asked you to avoid them for safety reasons.

Foods to try

Photo: Absolute Dental

• Mix canned or flaked meat or fish with extra mayonnaise, cream soup or sauce.

• Try ready-made infant foods. The pureed meats will add extra protein. You can eat these on their own, or add them to soups and casseroles.

• Make scrambled eggs and omelettes with full fat milk or other milk alternatives such as soy or canned coconut milk. Add cheese for extra calories and protein.

• Add a beaten egg to broth or soup while it is cooking.

• Add skim milk powder to foods for extra protein. You can stir it into a soft dish, stews, soups, smoothies or other liquids. You can usually find it in the baking aisle of a grocery store.

• Choose full fat cottage cheese and yogurt.

• Make stews with soft cooked meat, beans or lentils with added potatoes, rice or noodles.

• Add soft or silken tofu to soups, stir-fries, noodle bowls/dishes, salads and casseroles for extra protein. You can also try the pre-made individual tofu desserts for snacks.

• Add canned coconut milk to soups, mild or non‑spicy curry dishes or use when cooking fish, tofu or chicken with your preferred seasonings.

Things to Avoid

Photo: Victoria Dental Centre

Avoid these while you have mouth sores:

• Caffeinated drinks and foods, such as coffee, soda, colas, and chocolate

• Alcohol, including beer, wine, hard liquor, and mixed drinks2

• Tough meats, raw vegetables, bread, pretzels, rice, chips, muffins, and cakes

• Commercial mouthwashes, many of which contain alcohol

• Tobacco, including cigarettes, pipes, and chewing tobacco

• Acidic foods such as tomatoes, citrus fruits and juices (orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime)

• Spicy or salty foods

Dry Mouth

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy in the head or neck area can reduce the flow of saliva and cause dry mouth. When this happens, foods are harder to chew and swallow. Dry mouth also can change the way foods taste. Some of the ideas for sore mouth and throat may help. The suggestions below also may help you deal with dry mouth, according to Caregiverslibrary.

• Have a sip of water every few minutes to help you swallow and talk more easily.

• Consider carrying a water bottle with you so you always have some handy.

• Try very sweet or tart foods and beverages, such as lemonade; these foods may help your mouth make more saliva. (Do not try this if you also have a tender mouth or sore throat and the sweet or tart foods make it worse.)

• Suck on hard candy or popsicles or chew gum. These can help make more saliva.

• Eat soft and pureed foods, which may be easier to swallow.

• Keep your lips moist with lip salves.

• Moisten food with sauces, gravies, and salad dressings to make it easier to swallow.

• If your dry mouth problem is severe, ask your doctor or dentist about products that coat, protect, and moisten your mouth and throat. These are sometimes called “artificial saliva.”

Dental And Gum Problems

Cancer and cancer treatment can cause tooth decay and other problems for your teeth and gums. For example, radiation to the mouth can affect your salivary glands, making your mouth dry and increasing your risk of cavities. Changes in eating habits also may add to the problem. Your doctor and dentist should work closely together to fix any problems with your teeth before you start treatment. If you eat often or eat a lot of sweets, you may need to brush your teeth more often. Brushing after each meal or snack is a good idea. Here are some other ideas for preventing dental problems:

• Be sure to let your doctor know about any dental problems you are having.

• Be sure to see your dentist regularly. Patients who are receiving treatment that affects the mouth—for example, radiation to the head and neck—may need to see the dentist more often than usual.

• Use a soft toothbrush. Ask your doctor, nurse, or dentist to suggest a special kind of toothbrush and/or toothpaste if your gums are very sensitive.

• Rinse your mouth with warm water when your gums and mouth are sore.

• If you are eating foods high in sugar or foods that stick to your teeth, be sure to brush or rinse your mouth afterward so that the sugar won’t damage your teeth, or use sugar-free varieties. (Sorbitol, a sugar substitute that is contained in many sugar-free foods, can cause diarrhea in many people. If diarrhea is a problem for you, check the labels of sugar-free foods before you buy them and limit your use of them.)

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