Dental peeps, this one is super personal… what happens when oral care is overlooked in cancer patients? We see these patients in our ops, but what happens when that patient is your Dad?

My dad... My patient

In this episode of the Tooth or Dare Podcast, I share the story of my father’s battle with cancer and the parts of care that too often get missed.

It began with the kind of phone call no one is ever ready for:

“Your dad is coughing blood.” While I'm elbow deep in a 6mm pocket during an SRP.

From that moment on, life changed quickly. Emergency visits. Hospital admissions. A diagnosis that had likely been developing quietly for some time.

The truth is, many lung cancers are not found until they are already advanced.

But this episode is about more than the diagnosis and the outcome being tragic. It is also about something rarely talked about enough: oral health during cancer treatment. What I learned, what we created and how I shared it with the folks at the Cancer Center.

If you want the same download, you can grab it here: Oral Cancer Products Digital Download from Toothlife.ca

We discuss:

⚪ How life can change in a single moment

⚪ Warning signs that were easy to dismiss: chronic headaches, rapid weight loss, persistent coughing

⚪ The emotional reality of watching a parent go through cancer

⚪ My memories of my dad: motorcycle rides, soccer, scuba diving, and the bond we shared. #1 dental dad.

⚪ How families can be close, yet still silent about health concerns

⚪ What hospitals commonly recommend for oral care during treatment

⚪ Why “rinse with baking soda four times a day” is not enough

Clinical + real-world insight:

⚪ A firsthand look at how oral health can be overlooked in hospital settings

⚪ The absence of dental professionals on many cancer care teams

⚪ Four separate hospital admissions within 4 months and oral hygiene was never meaningfully addressed

⚪ The effects of radiation and cancer treatment can have on the mouth

⚪ Why preventive oral care should be part of treatment planning from day one

At its core, this is not a story about my loss. It is a call to do better, and perhaps for us dental people who have not seen this journey firsthand to trust me and talk about this with our patients and teams.

Oral health is connected to overall health. Always has been, not new news to us, but to the folks at the hospital, I was speaking gibberish, apparently.

And when that connection is ignored in critical care, patients feel the consequences even if they don't know it. Increased risks of infections, lower immune response... the list goes on, and we discuss that here.

A simple takeaway: Awareness → Advocacy → Integration

Because patients deserve complete care, and that includes the mouth, too.

If you made it all the way down here, hit a like and share a comment. Until next time, Peace out peeps! ✌️

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Dentistry in NYC is changing, and in Tribeca, there's a little hidden gem.

I sat down with Cody Levine, and honestly, this conversation felt like stepping into what dentistry could be when it’s done differently.

We talked about the kind of journey that doesn’t look linear. From doing dentistry under a cellphone light on mission trips to building one of the most intentional, beautifully designed practices in Tribeca, NYC. The story shared is a vision that materialized and is making a change in how patients see dentistry.

And I’ll be honest… if I didn’t live in Toronto, I’d be in New York. And if I were in New York, I’d probably be picking up a shift or two at Smile House. That’s how aligned this philosophy feels with how we also practice at Toothlife Studio.

What Cody and his team are building is a complete shift in how we think about care, moving away from quick fixes and toward something comprehensive, collaborative, interdisciplinary and way rooted in the connection between oral and systemic health.

This episode shows you what can happen when you stop treating teeth in isolation and start treating people as a whole. Sign it with me..."Head, shoulders, knees and toes."

In this episode, we yap about:

▪️ The journey from mobile dental units to creating a modern, tech-driven dental practice in New York

▪️ Why dentistry is shifting toward a mouth-body connection instead of isolated treatments

▪️ The four pillars of care: esthetics, structure, function, and biology—and how they change patient assessment

▪️ How advanced diagnostics and collaboration between specialists improve patient outcomes

▪️ Real patient cases involving TMJ, airway issues, sleep improvement, and recovery from past dental experiences

▪️ How to educate patients who come in expecting “just a cleaning” and shift their understanding of oral health

▪️ The challenges of running a modern dental practice and continuously improving both clinically and as a leader.

Connect with the Smile House Squad:

https://www.smilehouse.co/

https://www.instagram.com/smilehousetribeca/

https://www.instagram.com/codymarclevine/

If you made it all the way down here, hit a like and share a comment.

Until next time, Peace out peeps! ✌️

_______________________________________

📦 Amazon Store with my FAV things:

https://www.amazon.ca/shop/toothlife.irene?listId=YLX0271390I3

Follow on Social Media:

_______________________________________

💁🏼‍♀️Personal Instagram @Toothlife.Irene

https://www.instagram.com/toothlife.irene

🙋🏼‍♀️Facebook Irene Iancu

https://www.facebook.com/irene.iancu

💃🏼TikTok @Toothlife.Irene

https://www.tiktok.com/@toothlife.irene

🛒Online Store and Instagram @Toothlife

https://www.instagram.com/toothlife

🥼Office Instagram @ToothlifeStudio

https://www.instagram.com/ToothlifeStudio

_______________________________________

🎤Podcast @ToothorDare.Podcast

https://www.instagram.com/ToothorDare.Podcast

_______________________________________

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RDH's...Are you taking BP at every visit?

In this episode of the Tooth or Dare Podcast, Irene and Victoria break down one of the most common questions in dental hygiene:

“Is taking blood pressure at every visit mandatory?”

Patients often say:

“I’ve never had this done before.”

So what do the guidelines actually say?

We discuss:

• Is blood pressure screening mandatory in Canada or the U.S.?
• What provincial and ADA guidelines recommend
• What to do when a reading is over 180/110
• Can patients decline?
• When to defer treatment or refer
• Real clinical stories from practice
• The disconnect between dental and medical care

Clinical stories shared:

- A patient with BP over 200 systolic who went to ER and was later medicated

- A young patient with elevated BP who turned out to be pregnant with gestational diabetes

- Patients dismissed to physicians

- What happened when a patient was told by physicians, “We’re not concerned and monitor.”

- The disconnect between dental and medical frameworks

Blood pressure screening is strongly recommended — but in most places, not legally required. So, where does that leave us as preventive healthcare professionals?

We unpack it and discuss the following Resources & References:

CDHO Hypertension Advisory

https://cdho.org/advisories/hypertension/

CDHO Hypertension Factsheet

https://cdho.org/factsheets/hypertension-in-adults/

American Dental Association – Hypertension

https://www.ada.org/resources/ada-library/oral-health-topics/hypertension?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Today’s RDH – Pre-Operative BP Screening

https://www.todaysrdh.com/heart-health-importance-of-pre-operative-blood-pressure-screenings-in-the-dental-office/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Peer-Reviewed Study (PMC) – BP Screening in Dental Settings

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7523566/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

If you’re a hygienist, dentist, or healthcare provider navigating this conversation in your operatory — this episode is for you.

If you made it all the way down here, hit a like and share a comment.

Until next time, Peace out peeps! ✌️

_______________________________________

📦 Amazon Store with my FAV things:

https://www.amazon.ca/shop/toothlife.irene?listId=YLX0271390I3

Follow on Social Media:

_______________________________________

💁🏼‍♀️Personal Instagram @Toothlife.Irene

https://www.instagram.com/toothlife.irene

🙋🏼‍♀️Facebook Irene Iancu

https://www.facebook.com/irene.iancu

💃🏼TikTok @Toothlife.Irene

https://www.tiktok.com/@toothlife.irene

🛒Online Store and Instagram @Toothlife

https://www.instagram.com/toothlife

🥼Office Instagram @ToothlifeStudio

https://www.instagram.com/ToothlifeStudio

_______________________________________

🎤Podcast @ToothorDare.Podcast

https://www.instagram.com/ToothorDare.Podcast

_______________________________________

🔗🌲Cool links in my Linktree

https://linktr.ee/TOOTHLIFE.IRENE