CJ Henley, DMD, PA / San Marco, Jacksonville, Florida
Dental care for patients coming to Jacksonville for cancer treatment.
Your teeth shouldn’t be the thing that holds up your start date.
If you’re traveling to Jacksonville for radiation, chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant, or bone-modifying drugs, you may need a dental evaluation first. We do that at our San Marco office. Referred patients are typically seen within 72 hours, and Dr. Henley works with your oncology team to finish what’s needed before treatment begins.
- 72 hoursis how soon referred patients are typically seen in our office
- 2 weeksof healing, ideally, between a needed extraction and the first radiation treatment1
- 1 monthbefore cancer treatment is the ideal time for a full dental evaluation4
- Nearly 40%of people getting chemotherapy develop mouth complications4
Top-rated on Google: 4.9 stars from more than 225 patient reviews.
Dental evaluation before radiation or chemotherapy
Why your oncology team wants your teeth checked first.
Radiation to the head and neck, chemotherapy, stem cell transplants, and bone-modifying drugs all change how the mouth heals and fights infection. A tooth that’s a minor problem today can become a serious one during or after treatment. A dental evaluation before treatment finds those teeth while there’s still time to deal with them.
Many cancer centers ask for dental clearance before treatment starts: a dentist has examined your mouth, found anything likely to cause trouble, and treated it or made a plan for it. Guidelines for head and neck radiation strongly advise a dental assessment before treatment, done as early as possible.1 The National Cancer Institute says the same for chemotherapy and transplant: early enough to finish needed treatment and let extraction sites heal.2
What we’re trying to prevent
- Osteoradionecrosis (ORN). Bone in the jaw that received high-dose radiation heals poorly. An extraction or infection there years later can expose bone that won’t heal. That risk is lifelong.1,4
- Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). Drugs such as zoledronic acid and denosumab, used for cancer that has spread to bone, carry a similar risk after extractions. AAOMS advises getting the mouth as healthy as possible before these drugs start when the medical situation allows.3
- Infection while your immune system is down. Chemotherapy and transplant can drop your white blood cell count. An abscessed tooth or infected gums can become a bigger problem then.2
- Radiation caries. Radiation can permanently reduce saliva. Without it, teeth decay fast, often near the gumline. Daily prescription-strength fluoride helps protect them.1
Dr. Henley doesn’t diagnose or treat cancer. Your oncology team does. His job is your teeth, gums, and jaw.
Dentist for cancer patients in Jacksonville
What we look for depends on your treatment.
The exam is the same thorough exam either way, but the priorities shift. Before head and neck radiation, we focus on teeth in or near the radiation field. Before chemotherapy or transplant, we focus on anything that could flare into an infection. Before bone-modifying drugs, we focus on teeth that might need to come out later.
| Treatment | Main dental concern | What we focus on before it starts |
|---|---|---|
| Head and neck radiation | ORN, radiation caries, dry mouth, limited opening (trismus) | Teeth with a poor long-term outlook in the high-dose area, custom fluoride trays, a baseline record of your mouth |
| Chemotherapy | Infection, mouth sores (mucositis), bleeding gums when counts are low | Abscessed or broken teeth, gum infection, sharp edges or appliances that could rub sore tissue |
| Stem cell transplant | Infection during the low-count period, mucositis, later dry mouth | Clearing sources of infection, a home-care routine you can manage when your mouth is sore |
| Bone-modifying agents (zoledronic acid, denosumab) | MRONJ after future extractions or dental surgery | Teeth likely to need removal soon, so it can happen before the drug starts if possible |
Pre-radiation dental exam timing
How the timeline works when your start date is close.
Referred patients are typically seen within 72 hours. Dr. Henley works to complete needed dental treatment before your scheduled start date. When extractions are needed before radiation, about two weeks of healing is the goal. When time is short, he treats the highest-risk teeth first and shares the plan with your oncology team.
Ideally, the dental visit happens about a month before cancer treatment begins.4 That rarely matches reality. Many people learn they need a dentist a week or two before their first appointment.
What happens when time is tight
- Risk comes first. Teeth that are infected, hopeless, or sitting in the high-dose radiation area get attention first. Cosmetic or routine work waits.
- Two weeks of healing, when it fits. Guidelines suggest extractions happen at least two weeks before radiation starts, but only when that doesn’t delay cancer treatment.1 If your tumor needs treatment right away, your cancer care comes first.
- Your oncology team knows the plan. If something can’t be finished in time, Dr. Henley tells your team what was done, what wasn’t, and why.
Traveling to Jacksonville for cancer treatment
Step by step for out-of-town patients.
People come to Jacksonville for cancer care from across the Southeast, including Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas, and other parts of Florida. If that’s you, your dental visit can usually be arranged around your oncology appointments. Here’s how it typically goes, from the first call to the trip home.
Call us, or have your care team send a referral.
You or a family member can call 904.398.1549. Your nurse navigator or coordinator can use our physician line or the secure form on our physician referrals page. Tell us your start date.
Get your records moving.
Ask your hometown dentist to send recent dental X-rays and notes. Ask your oncology team to send the treatment plan.
Come in for the evaluation.
Dr. Henley reviews your health history and medications, examines your teeth, gums, jaw, and soft tissues, takes X-rays only if they’re needed, and explains what he finds. You’ll get the fee for each step in writing before any treatment.
Finish what needs finishing.
That may be a tooth extraction, a filling, a cleaning, smoothing a sharp tooth, or taking impressions for fluoride trays. The order depends on risk and on your start date.
Your oncology team gets a written summary.
Dr. Henley sends the referring team a summary of his findings, what was treated, and anything still pending.
We stay involved, then send your records home.
While you’re in Jacksonville, we can see you for problems that come up. When you go home, we send your findings to your hometown dentist if you authorize it.
Your first visit
What to bring, and who should send what.
Bring a current medication list, your oncology treatment plan and start date, and the radiation field if you know it. Ask your hometown dentist to send recent dental X-rays before your visit. If you’re not sure what you have, call us. We’ll help you figure out who to ask.
Bring with you
- A complete medication list. Include doses, blood thinners, and any bone-modifying drug you’ve had or are scheduled to start, such as zoledronic acid (Zometa, Reclast) or denosumab (Xgeva, Prolia).
- Your cancer treatment plan and start date. Whatever you’ve been given in writing is helpful.
- The radiation field, if you know it. Which side, which area, and whether the jaw is included. Your radiation oncologist’s office can tell you. Treatment teams use the dose to the jaw to judge which teeth are at higher risk.1
- Dentures, partials, or night guards you wear, so we can check the fit before your mouth gets sore.
Ask others to send
- Your hometown dentist: recent X-rays and notes about any work in progress. Have them call 904.398.1549 and we’ll give them the easiest way to send them.
- Your oncology team: diagnosis, planned treatment, and start date. They can fax (904) 212-4045 or use our secure referral form.
During radiation and chemotherapy
Dental care doesn’t stop once treatment starts.
Mouth sores, dry mouth, tooth sensitivity, and a stiff jaw are common during and after cancer treatment. Dr. Henley continues to see patients during treatment to help keep the mouth comfortable and clean, protect the teeth, and catch dental problems early. Your oncology team manages the medical side of these symptoms.
Mouth sores (mucositis)
Painful sores often show up a few days after chemotherapy and are usually worst one to two weeks in.2 We can help with gentle cleaning and smoothing anything that rubs. Read more about oral mucositis.
Dry mouth
Radiation near the salivary glands can reduce saliva for good. Less saliva means more decay and a mouth that feels sticky or burns. See our page on dry mouth for what helps.
Custom fluoride trays
Thin trays made to fit your teeth hold prescription fluoride gel against them. People with radiation-related dry mouth are generally advised to use daily fluoride for life.1,4
Stiff jaw (trismus)
Radiation can tighten the chewing muscles over time. Jaw-opening exercises during and after radiation help lower that risk.2 Learn more about radiation-induced trismus.
After treatment
Going home: how follow-up works with your hometown dentist.
When your treatment in Jacksonville ends, most people go back to their own dentist. If you authorize it, we send your findings and treatment notes to them. You’ll leave with a long-term prevention plan. If you had head and neck radiation, tell every future dentist, because it changes how extractions should be handled.
What we send, with your permission
- Exam findings and X-rays from your visits here.
- What was treated before and during cancer therapy, and anything left to do.
- Your prevention plan: fluoride use, recall frequency, and any dry mouth or jaw-opening concerns.
If you had head and neck radiation
The risk of ORN doesn’t go away.1 For teeth in the high-dose area, guidelines recommend offering alternatives to extraction, such as a root canal, crown, or filling, when they’re reasonable.1 Keep a copy of your radiation summary and share it at every dental visit, even years from now.
If you’ve had bone-modifying drugs, the same rule applies: tell every dentist, every time. Our page on osteoporosis medications and your dental health explains why.
Dental care after cancer doesn’t replace oncology follow-up. Keep every appointment your cancer team schedules, and keep up with regular oral cancer screening at your dental visits.
Location, cost, and contact
Practical details for patients and families.
Our office is at 3675 Hendricks Avenue in San Marco, a Jacksonville neighborhood near downtown and the Southbank. Patients and families call 904.398.1549. We don’t bill medical insurance. We’re an out-of-network dental office, and you’ll get the fee for each step in writing before treatment starts.
Where we are
CJ Henley, DMD, PA is at 3675 Hendricks Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32207, in San Marco. If you’re new to Jacksonville, call us and we’ll help you find us from where you’re staying. Dr. Henley is affiliated with Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville and is a member of the Baptist MD Anderson Head and Neck Tumor Board.
Cost and insurance
- Medical insurance isn’t billed by our office.
- Dental insurance. We’re out of network. Many dental plans still pay part of the cost, and our team can help you understand how to use your benefits. You’re responsible for what your plan doesn’t pay.
- Fees in writing. Cost depends on what the exam finds and how much must be done before your start date. Call with your plan details to ask about fees and payment arrangements. More on our dental insurance and payment page.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about dental care before and during cancer treatment.
Where can I get dental clearance before radiation in Jacksonville?
Dr. Henley provides dental evaluations before head and neck radiation, chemotherapy, stem cell transplant, and bone-modifying drugs at our San Marco office, 3675 Hendricks Avenue. Referred patients are typically seen within 72 hours. Call 904.398.1549, or have your oncology team use our physician referrals page.
Why do I need to see a dentist before radiation?
Radiation to the head and neck can permanently affect the jawbone and salivary glands. A tooth that has to come out after radiation carries a lifelong risk of osteoradionecrosis, where the bone doesn’t heal. Finding and treating problem teeth before radiation lowers that risk, and it’s the time to make fluoride trays to protect the teeth you keep.
Do I need a dental evaluation before chemotherapy?
Often, yes. Chemotherapy can lower your white blood cell count, and a hidden tooth or gum infection can flare when your body is least able to fight it. An exam beforehand finds those problems so they can be treated. Ask your oncologist whether they want one.
How fast can I be seen if my treatment starts soon?
Referred patients are typically seen within 72 hours. Tell us your start date when you call. Dr. Henley works to finish needed treatment before that date. When it isn’t possible, he treats the highest-risk problems first and tells your oncology team what’s still pending.
Will the dental visit delay my cancer treatment?
It shouldn’t. Ideally there are about two weeks of healing after an extraction before radiation starts, but guidelines say that wait should not delay cancer treatment. Your oncology team sets the start date. If time is short, we work around it and keep them informed.
I live in Georgia (or Alabama, or elsewhere in Florida). Can I still see you?
Yes. Many patients travel to Jacksonville from across the Southeast for cancer treatment and coordinate their dental care with us. We try to schedule around your oncology appointments. When you go home, we can send your findings to your hometown dentist if you authorize it.
What should I bring to the appointment?
A full medication list, including any bone-modifying drugs; your cancer treatment plan and start date; the radiation field if you know it; and any dentures or guards you wear. Ask your hometown dentist to send recent X-rays before the visit. If you can’t get everything, come anyway.
Do you bill my medical insurance?
No. Our office doesn’t bill medical insurance. We’re an out-of-network dental office, and many dental plans still pay part of the cost. You’ll get the fee for each step in writing before treatment. Call 904.398.1549 with your plan details to ask about fees and payment arrangements.
What are fluoride trays, and how long do I need them?
They’re thin, custom-fitted trays that hold prescription fluoride gel against your teeth for a few minutes a day. After radiation that reduces saliva, teeth decay quickly, and daily fluoride is generally advised for life.
Can my dentist back home pull a tooth after I’ve had radiation?
Sometimes, but they need to know about your radiation first. A tooth in the high-dose area carries a lifelong risk of osteoradionecrosis after extraction, so saving it with a root canal, crown, or filling is often preferred. Share your radiation summary with every dentist.
Do you treat the cancer itself?
No. Dr. Henley is a general dentist. Your oncology team diagnoses and treats the cancer. His role is your teeth, gums, and jaw before, during, and after treatment, and keeping your oncology team informed. Dental care never replaces your cancer follow-up. Learn more on our head and neck cancer page.
Your next step
Call with your start date, and we’ll take it from there.
If you or someone you love is coming to Jacksonville for cancer treatment and needs a dental evaluation first, call us and tell us when treatment starts. Care teams can reach Dr. Henley through the physician line at (904) 762-5616 or our physician referrals page.
CJ Henley, DMD, PA3675 Hendricks Avenue
Jacksonville, FL 32207
Prefer a nonurgent text? 904.762.5616 is our practice on-call and text line. Please don’t send sensitive health information by text, and call for anything urgent.
Related pages
Sources
- Peterson DE, Koyfman SA, Yarom N, et al. Prevention and Management of Osteoradionecrosis in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Treated With Radiation Therapy: ISOO-MASCC-ASCO Guideline. J Clin Oncol. 2024;42(16):1975-1996.
- PDQ Supportive and Palliative Care Editorial Board. Oral Complications of Cancer Therapies (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version. National Cancer Institute.
- Ruggiero SL, Dodson TB, Aghaloo T, Carlson ER, Ward BB, Kademani D. American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons’ Position Paper on Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaws—2022 Update. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2022;80(5):920-943.
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Oral Complications of Cancer Treatment: What the Dental Team Can Do. National Institutes of Health.