Hi @pauley thank you for sharing your story. It really hit me hard. I too have a dentist who I feel does not/did not understand the ramifications of pulling teeth after radiation. I really liked my oncologist however I felt like he brushed over the whole radiation and teeth issues from the beginning as I had no idea all this could happen when I began radiation. It would be nice if a dentist had to sign off to your oncologist that at the time all is well in your mouth. My oncologist just said I should see my dentist before I started radiation, which I did.
I had a dental cleaning right after completing radiation and my dentist was aware I had been through radiation. That being said a year after completing radiation I had a lower molar giving me problems she told me it needed to be pulled, so she pulled it. I saw my new oncologist just a few days after extraction (at the same practice, as my first oncologist had left) he was livid that he was not included in the decision to pull the tooth. I asked why and he told me about the possibility of it not healing and developing ORN. I asked what happened if it didn’t heal and he told me it would start with HBOT. Luckily for me it healed just fine. So now a year later I’m dealing with several other teeth my dentist says need to be removed. She sent me to the oral surgeon this time.
I am so very sorry this happened to you. It’s so discouraging to know that our medical insurance will not cover all that could and does happen to our teeth and jaw bone after radiation. I truly wish you had known about the possibility of HBOT, perhaps it could have changed your path and saved you a lot of pain and suffering. I’ve been researching HBOT and I’m hopeful that it will help to prevent any tissue or bone damage from the trauma of extracting teeth, my oral surgeon and my oncologist are strongly encouraging it. So please know that your journey lets me know that I do have to try it, so thank you for that. I wish you all the best! Take care and please let me know how it goes after getting your prosthetic teeth.
For anyone reading this HBOT dives in my area are $4500 for 30 dives, this is through a facility not linked to a hospital or wound care center.