1. < Head & Neck Cancer

How soon did treatment start? Dental issues first

Posted by coleva @coleva, Feb 18 5:57am

My dad was diagnosed with tonsil cancer the beginning of January and is supposed to start chemo and radiation but due to dental issues he has not been able to start any treatment yet. Has anyone else been in this situation?

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hnc67 | @hnc67 | Feb 24 2:50am
In reply to @mojo244 "Yes, I sure did. So I had to have my wisdom teeth extracted as well as..." + (show)
@mojo244

Yes, I sure did.
So I had to have my wisdom teeth extracted as well as my molars because two were crowns and a couple had fillings.
Because I was stage IV when I was diagnosed my oncologist wanted no time wasted.
My dentist pulled some strings and the oral surgeon got me in immediately, in fact, he and his assistant came in two hours before they opened to perform my extractions!

Once the extractions are completed you have to wait a minimum of 21 days before cancer treatments can begin…this is assuming that you are healed up completely in the 21 days.

Hope this helped

MOJO

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Hi I had surgery, and chemo/radiation treatments in spring of 2022

Well I saw the dentist today, the tooth pain I've been having is from something called "periapical radiolucency", an infection?

She is referring me next to the dental oncology surgeon. She says she really doesn't know how they can remove the tooth with the Trismus keeping my jaw tightened down.

I use a Therabite implement several times a day for over a year now with no real progress. Now wondering what I can possibly expect next...

Anyone else been through this, how did it work out for you

REPLY
1 reply
Jody aka mojo244 | @mojo244 | Feb 24 7:58am
In reply to @hnc67 "Hi I had surgery, and chemo/radiation treatments in spring of 2022 Well I saw the dentist..." + (show)
@hnc67

Hi I had surgery, and chemo/radiation treatments in spring of 2022

Well I saw the dentist today, the tooth pain I've been having is from something called "periapical radiolucency", an infection?

She is referring me next to the dental oncology surgeon. She says she really doesn't know how they can remove the tooth with the Trismus keeping my jaw tightened down.

I use a Therabite implement several times a day for over a year now with no real progress. Now wondering what I can possibly expect next...

Anyone else been through this, how did it work out for you

Jump to this post

Ask your doctor for a muscle relaxer!
My primary care physician put me on a muscle relaxer in attempt to help my treatment related chronic migraines. It didn’t work for the migraines but it did loosen my jaw.
I have been on the relaxer for several years now and if not for that I would barely be able to open my mouth.

MOJO

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1 reply
Mentor
William Olsen, Volunteer Mentor | @hrhwilliam | Feb 24 11:40am

Hi @coleva. Your Dad likely cannot have dental work performed during or even six months post radiation treatments as is usually the case. Therefore, the dental work if necessary is performed prior to treatment start. It's OK. The cancer doesn't grow so fast typically that it can't wait a few weeks. The dental work such as an extraction will take time to heal. It won't heal if it is being radiated or for that matter treated by Chemo drugs either.
I know you are nervous about the whole situation, but this is very common to have dental work cleared up prior to treatments. I unfortunately did not have a wisdom tooth pulled when it was recommended I should prior to treatment. Years later after many infections and problems, I had to have my mandible replaced, making a wisdom tooth extraction seem like a walk in the park.
Courage. We here at Connect will help you get through this.

REPLY
hnc67 | @hnc67 | Feb 24 1:29pm
In reply to @mojo244 "Ask your doctor for a muscle relaxer! My primary care physician put me on a muscle..." + (show)
@mojo244

Ask your doctor for a muscle relaxer!
My primary care physician put me on a muscle relaxer in attempt to help my treatment related chronic migraines. It didn’t work for the migraines but it did loosen my jaw.
I have been on the relaxer for several years now and if not for that I would barely be able to open my mouth.

MOJO

Jump to this post

Hi MOJO
Yes we've tried muscle relaxers for the rope like tendons in my neck, unfortunately not much help there so after taking for several months finally just stopped taking them.
Had Botox for cheek spasms and headaches which has helped with that but no help on my jaw....

Very glad to hear that the muscle relaxers have been helpful for you!

Thanks for the support though MOJO 🙂

REPLY
1 reply
Jody aka mojo244 | @mojo244 | Feb 24 2:40pm
In reply to @hnc67 "Hi MOJO Yes we've tried muscle relaxers for the rope like tendons in my neck, unfortunately..." + (show)
@hnc67

Hi MOJO
Yes we've tried muscle relaxers for the rope like tendons in my neck, unfortunately not much help there so after taking for several months finally just stopped taking them.
Had Botox for cheek spasms and headaches which has helped with that but no help on my jaw....

Very glad to hear that the muscle relaxers have been helpful for you!

Thanks for the support though MOJO 🙂

Jump to this post

I’ve been getting Botox for a bit over 2 years now and it was helping. I had migraines 24/7 but the Botox reduced it to 15-20 bad days per month but now I’m back to 24/7. I go mid march for my next Botox so not sure what she will want to do.
I’m over 60 so she stopped my Sumatriptan and put me on Nurtec ODT but my co-pay is more than $300 for 7 pills so I refused to participate in that!

MOJO

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