Dental Bun Podcast
Embrace the sassy, classy and messy bits of dentistry with the perfect blend of life and work wisdom.
Dental Bun Podcast
Oral Health During Cancer Treatment: How Side Effects Support Is Changing Patient Care
Cancer changes the way a mouth feels, heals, and functions—and too often, patients don’t get the guidance they need until they’re in pain. We sit down with hygienist and Side Effect Support founder Jill Meyer-Lippert to talk about practical ways clinicians and caregivers can prevent oral complications before they start. From pre-treatment dental visits to gentle, microbiome-friendly products.
We unpack the power of early intervention and compassionate education: short, clear brochures for adults and kids (in English and Spanish), Her partners marketplace, and ready-to-use kits make adherence easier and safer, especially when patients are immunocompromised.
You’ll hear how clinics customize kits for their populations, what goes inside (from toothbrush shields to gentle rinses), and how small daily habits add up to big wins in comfort and confidence. If you’re a hygienist, dentist, caregiver, or patient navigating cancer care, these tools bring clarity and calm to a stressful season—and help preserve smiles through treatment and beyond.
Jill Meyer-Lippert's contact information:
Link to chairside downloads: Prevent side effects of mouth when going through cancer treatments – Side Effect Support LLC
Chemotherapy Side Effect Remedies – Side Effect Support LLC
https://www.instagram.com/sideeffectsupportllc/
https://www.facebook.com/SideEffectSupportLLC
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-meyer-lippert-8ba63050/
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When your patient has disclosed that they have been diagnosed with cancer, do you know how to support them with their oral health needs? Today we have a business spotlight sponsored by the Dead List. Side effect support empowers patients, caregivers, and professionals through education, a company that helps aave the road to recovery with products, information, and resources specifically designed to help maintain the oral health and comfort of those in treatment for cancer. Our guest today on the Dental Bund Podcast is Jill Meyer Lincoln, CEO and founder of Side Effects Report.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you, Jill, so much for joining us today on the Dental Bun Podcast. So in your bio, you let us know you have been in dentistry for 30 years as a hygienist. And when I have guests that have been in dentistry for so long, we usually have other talents. That's just what we do. We have to grow in certain ways. And if you can't grow clinically, there are other things that drive you. And for you with your company side effects support, tell us how you went from clinical hygiene to developing this company.
SPEAKER_02:It really started with my mom's cancer diagnosis. And she received a breast cancer diagnosis almost at the exact same time that I started my first job in dentistry as a dental assistant before I went to dental hygiene school. And seeing what she dealt with with dry mouth and mouth sores and her being so uncomfortable and not really getting guidance from her oncology team, I thought that now that I worked in dentistry, I was easily going to be able to find these answers for her. And I found out that was not the case. It was not only lack of information and support from a patient's perspective and as a family caregiver, but then as a healthcare provider. And it wasn't only us on the gentle side that didn't know what to do, it was the oncology side too. So patients were just really slipping through the cracks and this need was not being met for them. So that was my original inspiration for it. And once that fire got inside of me, it just kept growing through the years because I it was just one example after another of people that had problems, didn't receive guidance, and ended up having a lot of them damaged under their oral health after their treatments were done. So I thought there's just got to be a better way. And I thought, well, why doesn't this exist? And one day a little voice came inside of me and said, Well, why don't you make it exist? So really the best way that we can help them is early intervention. If we have the opportunity to get that patient in our chair before their treatments begin, we have the greatest opportunity to make a difference for them. And part of that is going to be education, providing empathetic education that they're going through a lot and we can't scare them in the process of what they might deal with. But we need to be realistic that there are possibilities of side effects that may make it very uncomfortable. It may increase their infection risks. And many times there are really simple things we can do to help reduce those risks for them. So I actually will be providing you some free downloads that we can access. These are all available on my resources tab on my website at side effectsupport.com. I have an adult patient brochure and I have a pediatric patient brochure. Both are available in English and in Spanish. And so this provides something that you can send home with them and gives them an idea of some side effects that may occur, like dry mouth, mouth sores, things like that, and then those simple tips of things they can do to help reduce some of those risks at home. I also recently just added, now we have a treatment checklist. So if you have somebody that comes in, whether it be before treatments begin or if you are able to see them doing treatments, that you can kind of go through this checklist, make sure that you're treating them efficiently and safely. And the checklist comes with a companion guide that gives more details of things to look for. Part of it will be dependent on what type of cancer and what type of treatments they have. One of the things that I wanted to offer on my site too is professional resources in more technical terms to help get the medical team and dental team more on the same page to help the communication. It'll give you an opportunity to familiarize yourself a bit more with different types of cancers and what side effects may be more specific to those cancers and the treatments involved with them.
SPEAKER_01:I love that you have kind of both sides to that because when you have a patient, and I'm just going to use me as an example, you know, that has said, I've been diagnosed with cancer in a couple of weeks or in a month, I'm going to start treatment. It's great to know that I can go to your website and get that information so that I can educate myself. Because at cheer side, I may know a little bit, but then I can follow up with them with these resources via email or text or however you communicate with your patients so that they can get those resources. However, in your experience as someone that has had a, you know, a family member go through a cancer diagnosis, the thing that I have heard from my patients is they get so much information, they're bombarded with it, and they kind of sift through the big stuff, and then the little stuff kind of goes to the wayside. And a lot of times that is the dental stuff. Do you find that to be true?
SPEAKER_02:Yes, and that's actually one reason I made these separate brochures in pretty simple terms as far as how the information is laid out. Thinking back to my dad actually passed away from cancer. And I remember when we took him in for his first chemo treatment, we came home with a three-ring binder that was about three inches thick. And of course, this was already on my radar, something I was very interested in. So I started looking through it. And on the bottom of page 26, there was like one little paragraph. And I thought, well, how ridiculous is that? I mean, we were so overwhelmed. He felt terrible. And I would have never seen that unless I really was seeking that information. And the information that was provided was like, well, you might experience this, but then there was like nothing else as far as recommendations. And one thing is as dental providers, we have the ability to think about their long-term oral health because a lot of people may be surprised that there are still medical providers that recommend that patients suck on lemon drops and jolly ranchers and candies like that to help remedy their trying. Yeah. Yes. And sometimes when I do talk with different, I work with a lot of different like treatment centers or nonprofits that are run by med medical providers. And we'll talk about that sometimes. And sometimes their mouth just hangs open. It's like, really? We do that all the time. What's wrong with that? And once we talk through it, it's like there's just a disconnect there. So we have the ability to help cut down those infection risks by making different product choices and things like that for them too.
SPEAKER_01:Wow. Since we're talking about patient products, can you tell us how you move forward with picking products for your website?
SPEAKER_02:I have just a few different characteristics, I guess, that I look for. Number one, things that will help to ease the symptom. So whether it be oral moisturizers or something as simple as a compact had extra soft toothbrush to be extra gentle with their brushing and make brushing possible, even if they do end up having mouth sores or tender tissue. Looking for things like that, but things that were also going to nurture the oral microbiome to protect their long-term oral health, because that was very eye-opening to me is how many products on the market are acidic. Sometimes they would be sweetened with sucrose or things like that.
SPEAKER_01:So you know it's here. Well, of course, the Jolly Rancher thing just threw me. No, they're just so delicious. But just know that there are products out there that are marketed for therapeutic value that aren't that they're not looking at the whole picture. That's crazy to me.
SPEAKER_02:Right. And to be fair, I always think there are some products that, especially with mouth sores or things like that, would that be the one thing that would get them from point A to point B and make eating possible or give them some comfort? And is it acidic? But it helps them, you know, that's that's always that hard balance. And if it is, is there something else we can do now that we know that to help protect their teeth more? Is there something else that we can add that's going to be beneficial? And then another thing was affordability, having two parents that went through cancer treatments and seeing those medical bills. That was eye-opening. And uh cancer diagnosis can be medical or can be financially devastating to a family. So I didn't want to add to that. So I wanted to pick things that were affordable, and then also I partnered with different companies, not because I literally am the epitome of a small business owner where I have a bedroom that's a little warehouse, and I package at my kitchen table and I'm running things to the post office for you.
SPEAKER_01:No, because that really resonates with when someone goes to your website, they know that you're not selecting products because they're supporting you financially, like putting in the work, like really looking into it before you're going, hey, this product is great for you for treatment.
SPEAKER_02:Right. And everybody's different. So I like to have a variety on there that you might have one product that works really well for next one person and the next person tries it, their medications are different, their body chemistry is just different. It doesn't work as well for them. So it's nice to have a collection. I always call it like what's in your toolbox, having a collection of products that you can recommend and say, you know, not everything will work perfectly. So let's try this. If that doesn't work, well, there's more options, you know, just be open to trying different things. And there are certain products that I wanted to provide access to for patients, or at least to let patients and providers know that they're available. So I actually created on my website too, it's called a partner's marketplace. So then I partnered with different companies and it ends up being a win-win-win all the way around because they can access those products directly from my website and it'll take them there and opt and provide a discount. So then they help to save a little bit on them as well. So really very multifaceted what it all offers.
SPEAKER_01:It's wonderful because when you go to side effect support website, you are getting such a robust resource center. Not only are you, as a clinician, getting education for yourself to help educate yourself so you can provide better care for your patient, but then there's resources that you can direct your patient to have. And then if they're experiencing some of those symptoms, they're able to purchase items that can help alleviate some of the symptoms that they're having at home. I mean, that's life-changing for someone. Right.
SPEAKER_02:And I really, really wanted to help that when they're not feeling well, giving them a list of things they're supposed to go to from store to store to try to find is just not, it's not reasonable for people. They will get frustrated and just pick off the shelf whatever they've been used to using before, typically. And when they're really not supposed to be around people that much, when their blood counts are low, this is something they can sit at home, access. Everything's shipped right directly to them, and it's just safer for them all the way around.
SPEAKER_01:What a perfect. I mean, I love how your company has grown into that easy access for the clinician and the patient. You actually have kit on your website for patients to purchase and dental offices to purchase. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
SPEAKER_02:Sure. Actually, before starting side effects port, I had actually run a volunteer program at our local oncology department where my dad had treatments. And after he passed away, that was my motivation to take some action. So I was created kits and they were nothing more than a colored paper bag, like a lunch bag. And then I had information that I designed and I got product donations, basically. And that's even before I really started investigating products more. They were just ones that they were advertised or dry mouth. Okay, let's put those in there until I've really started to look and be like, oh, maybe that's not the best choice. So I ran that program for several years until all of a sudden the donations dried up. That is where that idea of having a kit cup came into. So it's something tangible that patients can go home with right away, have a sampling of different products they can try, kind of figure out is this a good fit for me or not, if they want to get more. And then it is not only available to directly to patients in the form of kits, but also to dental providers. And then I also do create some kits with other cancer centers and some cancer nonprofits. And sometimes they will get ones that are the pre-made, like that I have put together, or sometimes I work with them that we customize them specific to that clinic's needs or that nonprofits of what they would like to provide. And then, yeah, so it's really been fun seeing how it's growing and and and reaching many different cancer centers and and patients throughout the country.
SPEAKER_01:I'm just in awe. Like how on amazing. So on me. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:I'm just in the process right now. We'll be serving another 425 people throughout the state of Rhode Island. So I've got one last shipment to come in, and then I'll be finishing that order up. And we served several hundred out in Virginia for breast cancer patients last year. So it was very heartwarming.
SPEAKER_01:You're warming my heart. Just hearing about all the good that you're doing is such a cool thing to hear about, to see. And of course, you know, knowing that us as clinicians can benefit from all of the research and work that you have put into side effects support. Can you tell us when someone goes to side effects support on your website? The kits that are there, what are in those kits? Do those change?
SPEAKER_02:Typically, I have, like for adults, I have one that has the extra soft compact head toothbrush, and it has a sample of what's called an Intelodent toothbrush shield, which is a shield that can help to keep germs off of your toothbrush, especially if they have mouth sores and they're susceptible to infections. It'll have a small mouth rinse. Most of the time, it's the closest ultra-sensitive, a mild toothpaste that's free of irritating detergents, xylitol mints to suck on. And then a lot of times they'll have discount cards. Of course, the patient brochures come in them. That's one variation. Another variation takes a toothpaste out and puts a petroleum-free lip balm in there. And then I have a pediatric kit and I have one kit that's a little larger that I worked in conjunction with a post-bone marrow transplant nurse out of the University of Wisconsin. And we created a customized one and then we call it, and then they have a little discount that she can give her patients that they can come there and order that directly. But sometimes I've had certain products that maybe have gone off the market or they make a change and then we alter it. So sometimes it's just according to availability. Okay.
SPEAKER_01:So if someone wanted to contact you, what is the best way to contact you?
SPEAKER_02:There is a contact us right through my website. Otherwise, anybody's free to email me at any time is Jill at sideefectssupport.com. And that's probably the easiest way. And I'm pretty, pretty responsive. So people usually don't have to wait too long to get an answer back.
SPEAKER_01:And then, of course, we can follow you on social because I do follow side effect support on social. And she does post beneficial things for you to utilize chairside. I know just recently you posted a document. Oh, yep. That's actually the companion guide. You don't with the temperature. So you have the companion guide and checklist. So she is constantly sharing things that can support you chair sides. So you can find side effect support on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Or of course, if you'd like to purchase some kits for your practice, then you can do that as well on side effectsupport.com. Yeah, perfect. Thank you so much, Joe, for being my guest on the Dental Mun podcast.