i am assuming that you have had a few problems with radio therapy after effects on your teeth.
i had tomotherapy which is less invasive than general radio therapy but still caused my all the same issues. I am now just over a year out of treatment I get my teeth cleaned professionally at the hospital when I have my monthly reviews ... This is not just the clean you get at you local dentist....this is a rolls Royce clean.
i have to use Duraphat 5000 a minimum of twice a day and have a special brush to clean the plaque away
I still can not eat chocolate or anything that is laden with icing as reacts painfully with my teeth...it's like putting a piece of tin foil on a filling .... Ouch
I sat next to a guy who had all of his back teeth removed iirc 11 in all It scared me as don't tolerate dental treatment at all well! I realise that there is a bigger picture but it's hard to rationalise one's fear sometimes
Its a total fiasco, NHS dental care in the UK. Like you I have had radiotherapy for neck cancer. I had an appointment with the hospital dentist a month prior to radiotherapy, this was cancelled, it was rescheduled to a week into me starting radiotherapy. I was told I needed 3 teeth removing but it was too late because I'd started the radiotherapy course, but the blame was laid on me. Removing teeth is very dangerous after radiotherapy to jaw which causes osteoradionecrosis. So I now keep my teeth imaculately clean, the NHS hospital denist and the hygeinist are looking after my dental care now. Soon I will return to my own dentist where I will require 4 checkups and 4 visits to the hygeinist a year at a cost of £300. I use Duraphat toothpaste eat no sweet stuff or sugar in drinks. So far so good! Kim
Hi, thank you for your post it has made me consider my husbands situation, he had radiotherapy to his head for a brain tumour and has problems with his teeth eversince. We have had no advice about hospital dental care, he has paid out a small fortune in dental costs since october last year. He also received chemo and RT for a lung tumour and is set to have more because it has spread to his bones. Should i ask at the hospital about dental care?
If the radiotherapy affected his jaw, Id mention his dental problems to the oncologist. There is an increased risk of dental caries, so oral hygeine is very important. I use duraphat toothpaste which contains a high level of flouride and seldom have sweet stuff. This is easy because it sets my teeth on edge if I do. Gave up sugar in tea coffee, unbeleivably it took only a week to get used to it. Sugary fizzy drinks are off the menu but I do enjoy a glass of beer with my dinner. I usually brush my teeth after meals and before bed. It is essential not to get gum infections or need dental surgery , healing is very difficult due to the osteoradionecrosis, which among other things reduces the blood supply to the jaw. I'm sorry to hear your husband has had such a rough time, hoping for the best for both of you. Kim
sounds like we all have the same issues with sweet and sugary things.... Not such a bad thing I suppose, but it's paid havoc with me trying to put wait back on...but cheesecake and lashing of double cream helps there.
i had my teeth checked pre treatment with my dentist and they then confirm with the hospital that they were ok. It was only after treatment when my teeth were causing my terrible mouth ulcers (rubbing against my gums), that the hospital said that I should have had 3 of my back teeth out .... Err a bit late now mate.
like everyone else i Duraphat whenever I can
however I was very fortunate to have my treatment in a hospital that offered tomotherapy, this enabled precise targeting in four main areas of my head and neck for radio therapy and thus lessens the damage to the thyroid, saliva glands and major blood vessels around that area. Don't get me wrong it made the treatment no easier to go through it just lessened the after effects of ther treatment.
i was also the person that insisted that every time I have my bi monthly review that I see the dentist for a clean and you will be surprised that even though I clean multiple times a day, how much plaque still builds up. So if you are not already doing so go and get a free clean when you have your review.
I see that this high fluoride tooth paste may be suitable for me. Do any of you get it on prescription? The Duraphat is a Clogate brand and looks expensive to buy privately are there any others?
It is prescription only, if you are in the UK ,as you have been diagnosed with cancer you can apply for a medical exemption card, this gives you free prescriptions for 5 years. I only just found this out having spent a fortune on medicine these last 18 months. Kim
If you are still undergoing radiotherapy Calphosol mouthwash is also very beneficial in preventing stomatitis. Your taste will come back but think on a timescale of months after radiotherapy finishes. I had no taste whatsoever for a month after the end of radiotherapy. Its very disheartening and makes eating even more difficult than it already is. When I could sip a beer it was like fizzy water, 8 months on I can taste everything, maybe not as well as I could before but I enjoy my meals again. Right now its corned beef hash and a pint of Badgers - poachers choice. Good for putting weight back on. Kim
