Breast cancer/Radiation/Tooth Problems

“But, it’s one of those risks we have to take to buy extra time for ourselves. Without treatment I wouldn’t be here. A trade worth taking.”

I agree 100%! Reading that was like reading my medical files. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised about dental issues. Toothless and alive might be my new moniker. 😂😂

I recently had my check up and the dentist said my teeth were loose. They were not decayed or had cavities..but were loose. They pulled six, I was in shock. This was after 19 rounds of radiation and five years of anastrozole.

I’m so sorry you all are having these issues. As a dental clinician, we are well aware of the risks of tooth problems and cancer treatments. But there is more to it than that. In fact, periodontal disease is an infection that has been known to correlate to other diseases (i.e. diabetes, heart disease are just 2). And it is a relatively “silent” disease ( most have few symptoms until teeth are loose). We have had many referrals of patients from their oncologist to ensure their oral health is stable and there are no active infections prior to starting treatment. In these cases, the concern is that any active infection may have detrimental effects on the cancer treatment. I begin my cancer treatments very soon. You can bet I will have my coworkers check me out thoroughly before I start!!!

Hello all😊. I am 74 years old, in good health with exception of recent BC treated last fall. Low grade IDC. I had surgery followed by a 5 day radiation to left breast. Not taking any AI. My problem is constant gum sores. Mayo docs sores not related to my treatment, but what else would cause this? I have followed up with a four month mamo at Mayo ( all good), 4 different dentists including an MD dentist and 2 regular physicians. A big mystery. Tried a round of Tretracycline and also oral Tetracycline, with no relief. Used Chlorhexadrine mouth wash. I’m currently using salt/baking soda rinse with Oxyfresh gel. Has anyone experienced this red/ sore gum condition? Please respond and know I really appreciate your input. Been 4 months of suffering.
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Thank you for posting this, it’s important. During my treatment of radiation and five years on anastrozole, my blood sugars went up. Maintaining a good diet and exercise didn’t help. I’ve been off the pill for a year, my blood sugar is perfect, my weight is coming off, but my teeth paid the price, I believe. My dentist retired, so during my treatment I had four visits to a new one, I mentioned the chemo pill snd she said ..um hum. This time, I tried a different dentist, she pulled my loose teeth, but made me feel so horrible in the process. Intimating that it was my fault. I pray anyone else having these problems will find dentists who are more understanding. Cancer was enough to deal with.

I am 4 1/2 years out from BC surgery, chemo and radiation. In that time I have had 3 fillings fall out. Also have had to have 3 caps due to teeth breaking. Oncologist never said to watch for possible issues but dentist said all the treatment and AI causes teeth to dry out, shrink (causing old fillings to fall out) and get brittle (teeth breaking). I have always had regular checkups and cleanings every 6 months. After my dentist retired 3 years ago I was very fortunate to find a new dentist with a lot of the latest techniques. Has been able to find some minor cracks within the last year and have sealed or filled them immediately. Dentist thinks all is slowing down. But says we need to be vigilant and watch. I guess it is just another side effect that we are not told about ahead of time!

Could any of you also have an immune disease?
I have had breast cancer and radiation however my periodontal disease began when I was in my 20's and I had breast cancer in my 70's. I have lost many teeth and had implants, many crowns, many fillings and many teeth that practically just fell out of my mouth. I also had a dentist look down his nose at me because he thought that I was not taking care of my teeth. In my 60's I was diagnosed with a primary immune disease (CVID) that I was told I was probably born with. I am missing part of my immune system. I was started on daily immunoglobulin antibody infusions and my periodontal disease cleared up. So in my case my periodontal disease was due to a poor immune system. I can imagine that radiation does a number on a person's immune system.
I wonder how many breast cancer patients with periodontal disease should be tested for a serious immune deficiency.
I wish that my dentists had considered that maybe my awful dental issues were caused by a health condition instead of a hygiene issue. Maybe they could have saved me from a lifetime of serious health and dental issues.
FYI...Anyone can ask for an immunoglobulin blood test to check for immune deficiencies.

I think doctors might be concerned if they go into too much detail their patients might say no to life saving surgery.

I had 30 radiation treatments. I have been on AI for 2 and half years. This second year I have had 2 root canals and 3 crowns in the last 6 months! I’m fortunate to have a close friend who is my dentist. He is very concerned about my dental health!

I’m so sorry you had to experience ignorance and shaming on top of everything else. I’m usually proud of my profession, but this is just heartbreaking. I’m so fortunate to be in an office with caring and compassionate people. Hopefully you can find a new dental home.

Hi all, just for your information: Radiation is a localized treatment, whereas Chemotherapy is systemic. If you are having radiation to your head and neck area, your teeth may be affected, but radiation for breast cancer wouldn’t cause problems with your teeth. However, it is taxing for the body to go through the repair cycles that happen with radiation, so an existing issue might become more severe because your body is working hard to repair the area that was affected by cancer. That is why fatigue is the most common side effect from radiation. It is more likely that side effects from chemo may be causing problems in areas away from the cancer site or that the issue with your teeth is completely separate from either of those treatments.