hello MIchelle,
I should be able to answer most of your questions since I am not that far ahead of your mom.
question#1. she probabley not start that day, they will have to do measurments and fit her properly with her "custom made" mask, so she will not start radiation that day maybe a week or two later, the mask fitting takes maybe an hour at most.
Question #2 If there is any concern about teeth or even a tooth it has to go, because the problem is osteoradionecrosis afterwords, trust me she does not want to deal with this. Many people here have all of there teeth pulled before radiation because of this possability, I know I did not have to have any teeth pulled at the time, but now I am having trouble with two molars, and man are the procenting with caustion as to what to do , meanwhile i am suffering with a few tooth aches that are miserable. she may be have to wait a bit , just for the socket to heal but it should not be a big delay.
Question # 3 The dentist will make trays for her teeth and give her a prescription flouride that she will do at home , it is kinda easy but does not taste to well and it made me gag, I stopped using them part way through treatment, I used it right before radiation everyday and was afraid that I would vomit in the mask while being bolted to the table, silly me, If I had known what i do now about ORN I would have used them all the way through, and did not have to use them right before radiation everyday I could have done it a t any time during the day, (I was unaware of this site at that time, If I was aware I would have gotten a ton of good advice here and known better)
Now one of my questions to you is , does your Mom have a PEG tube if not she will probably need one, nutrition is vital at this stage of the game,
all of this is managable stuff so stand firmly behind your mom, prop her up when she needs it. Radiation is not easy, but it is just a thing that has to be done period. No matter how tough it gets don't let her talk of quitting , remember it is only so many days. Hang in there my girl, with you by her side your mom will be all the better for it.
always lenny