Is there someone at this board who plays the role of intervener for a newly diagnosed patient? Everyone says not to have his teeth pulled. They're going to pull them Friday. What should I do. I don't want my brother to suffer. I don't live in the same state as my brother. What can we do? My brother has a hard time understanding all this. They have convinced him that he should do this. He is going to the VA in Ann Arbor Michigan. Please help. They're pulling them this Friday!!!!!!!!!!!

JC I am sorry that you feel somewhat helpless with the situation. We don't really have an intervener here.
I also don't want you to misunderstand our comments either. some people do need to have teeth removed. If you are unable to speak to his caregivers directly then you will have to trust that they know what they are doing. VA facilities should apply standards of care that are high level. In searching the web I found that the VA hospital in Ann Arbor is connected with the University of Michigan which is a Comprehensive Cancer Center as well as a teaching hospital. It appears he is in an area where really good medical care will be given. I know this is a stressful time for you and you will need to trust (and have faith) that he will have good care.

It works better for all of us if you stay posting in a single thread (topic). If you start posting too many new topics people get lost trying to remember who you are and connecting to your questions.

Take care

JC - All of my teeth were pulled prior to beginning treatment. My teeth were filled with fillings and generally in poor condition. The issue is that patients who receive radiation treatment for oral cancers become particularly vulnerable to a very dangerous condition.

Radiation causes the destruction of much, if not all, of the blood circulation in the jaw. Injuries or infections in the jaw become impossible to heal, or worse, develop into a very serious condition requiring bone transplant. Dental surgery performed anytime after the radiation runs real risk of injuring tissues in the jaw.

People with solid, healthy teeth usually keep them. But folks like me with poor teeth should get them out of the way so that no risk is run later. It is about safety and prevention - not a small matter at all. Hope this helps a bit. Best of luck. Be strong. Tom

Thanks for the information. Sorry about not staying in a single topic. You can delete my topic in this category and I'll post to introduce yourself where I first posted if you like. I've never posted in a forum before this.

If your brother is beginning radiation or chemo of the head area, removal of the teeth is a precautionary step to save him many problems and possible removal later. My brother had 16 teeth removed before starting treatment. Check with his caregivers and they can explain the need to you and if you and your brother are still unsure, pack your bags and go help him. It's what we sisters do for our brothers - especially if you are an older sister like me. Anyway, is there anyone he can rely on for help understanding things that are located closer to him? This is really not something a person should go through alone, especially if they are confused.
Tonya

I assume your brother had a dental exam beforehand by someone who knows about oral radiation and they determined that his teeth were in to poor condition to withstand the treatment. You may want to talk to him or his care-givers for more of the story.

However, having said that, you also should be aware that the standard procedure in the past was to remove teeth but that many of the top CCCs are being far more conservative about this. One reason is that with an IMRT radiation plan they may be able to avoid radiating much of the tooth-containing part of the jaw. As my husband's Hopkins dental oncologist said, "we remove no tooth without due process" -- and my husband had a mouth full of crowns, fillings and had had periodontal disease in the past (now under control) -- they examined his dental xrays as well as his teeth and gums, and pronounced him "good to go."

His exam by the dental onc last month found everything still in good shape but he does use his fluoride trays daily and has a cleaning every 3 months, plus meticulous daily oral hygiene.

By the way, a patient can legally refuse any treatment and there are some on this list who refused having their teeth pulled (having been advised to do so) and have said they've had no problems post-treatment.

Gail

had all my teeth pulled, cried like a baby.at first i didn't understand why, sometimes i still ask, but now i have a full set of pearly whites. still having a hard time with some foods, but ive never had a smile this nice in my life. to bad it took cancer of the larynx to get it. sorry if i'm babbeling the ambien is kicking in. after 53 weeks of being a survivor i had a recurrence. rediagnosed on march 10,2006 made arangement's at sloan kettering in nyc. had my laryynx removed april 3 2006. i just turned 46. i still feel young. have a million question's about my new condition, hope there's a few "larry's"out there that can help. it's getting late, lettermen's comming on. write again tomorrow, good night