My dad will be having radiation concentrated on his jaw and tounge. It was suggested that he will have to have his top teeth pulled beforehand. Is this a normal procedure and why would they need to do this?

Jennifer,

Sorry to hear about your Dad. Many of us on this site have had some or all of our teeth extracted before radiation. This is due to the numerous side effects of radiation to the mouth. Better than I can explain it all, this site has a great dental section that explains more than any of my doctors did. Please look up the available information right here.

Good luck to you and your Dad, please keep us posted.

Take care,
Dinah