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Radiation side effects with H&N cancer. When will they ever end?
Head & Neck Cancer | Last Active: Dec 11, 2023 | Replies (141)Comment receiving replies
Just a point that should be included on effects, teeth. Prior to my radiation I was told to get my teeth checked and any repairs needed to be done there and then. An accompanying letter was supplied for the dentist's to refer to.
I had this done with a clean and two fillings. Seems simple, I was happy to get that bit out of the way and get on with my treatment. Now three and bit years on, I realise what they were talking about. All my bottom teeth have gone to God. If they haven't fallen out, they are broken stubs of their former selves. I have had, must be around 14 dental visits now and am finally getting back to getting the end product of radiation a full bottom plate.
Not one Dentists would remove any of the damaged teeth. It was their supposition that removal could cause a break in the Jaw! Chewing food is a nightmare, but getting food in is nearly as bad. My incisor teeth are mere broken stubs. Wow for anyone who doesn't have them they know that biting food off is impossible, so it is cut everything up to the smallest bit possible before it gets into the mouth.
Now meals are a long drawn out process that is generally not finished anyway. Your weight needs to be monitored as in my case, I have lost 3 kilograms in the past two months. All good if i needed to, but I had already lost 30 kilograms after treatment and chemo. So be warned, try and save the teeth.
Replies to "Just a point that should be included on effects, teeth. Prior to my radiation I was..."
My sister, 68, had squamous cell carcinoma, stage 4 on the left side of her tongue.
She had the 8 hour surgery to remove 1/3 of her tongue.
Prior to the surgery (while in the operating room) they removed 5 teeth on her left side.
To rebuild her tongue, they took the skin , tendons blood vessels etc. from her left forearm to rebuild her tongue.
All of the above were so incredibly hard to heal from, from the ng tube, the loss of taste, saliva, difficulty swallowing, and eventually trying to eat. she lost 30 lbs. and has a hard time keeping her weight up.
After her 7 weeks of Radiation to her tongue area, the oral nightmare will never end.
Most of her bottom teeth fell out; she had 4 left that needed to be pulled.
The oral surgeon could not pull them until she completed hyperbaric chamber treatments to help strengthen her bone, so he could extract them, and the plan was to fit her with a permanent partial bridge on the bottom. He says he can place it and hook it to 2 of her existing bottom teeth., After 10 more hyperbaric chamber treatments.
So the nightmare continues. And, not to mention the tooth abcesses,, etc.
It is very difficult to find any information regarding any way to help head and neck cancer patients with any viable solution to help with replacing teeth, stopping them from rotting, and all of the other horrible post radiation treatment issues with their oral health destruction.
And, the COST of it all. All of the dental visits, tooth extractions, oral surgeries, medical visits
mostly caused by oral health and due to radiation, are NOT COVERED UNDER MEDICAL!
Dental insurance does not cover very much.
Any thoughts about this? Anyone had any good treatment and good news about saving your teeth? Or any good advice on who to go to for excellent dental, oral treatment that has been life changing for your recovery? Would love to hear some advice. Thank you!
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You are correct on the issue of teeth. Regardless of what can be done prior to radiotherapy, the jaw bone (Mandible) can be damaged to where it may literally die. And when that happens the teeth roots cannot keep the teeth alive and strong. Dentists will recommend fluoride treatments however from what I read, fluoride is not good for bones.
I had a mandible section replaced with part of my fibula and blood supply flap to keep the bone alive and allow it to heal with the remaining live sections of mandible. I was 65 when this was done at Mayo Clinic and it has worked well. I can eat easily now. Have you considered something like this as an option?