Well, this seems to be the time for finding out that the things I thought were temporary problems might not be. First I find out there's a realm physiological reason why I'm choking on any kid of non-liquid food and we can only *hope* the swallowing exercises will fix it and then today I had a teeth-cleaning.

The good news is I didn't have a lot of plaque (probably because not much in the way of food has been going past my teeth so far) and the dentist when he checked me at the end said the range of motion of my jaw is clearly getting better (last time he saw me was early September), so at least it seems the therabite is doing some good, though I still have a ways to go.

The bad news is--I had to have my two lower front teeth pulled before rad because I had a spot of very receeded gum right there (everywhere else I don't seem to have periodontal problems but that specific area had always been a problem). The dentist gave me a "flap" before radiation-a partial that is held in place by wires around your other teeth along the gumline. Needless to say, once my mouth got sore from the rad and chemo, around the second week, it was way too sore for wearing the partial--those wires HURT. So I stopped. And as a result, my teeth, esepcially one tooth on one side of the gap in the front of my mouth, moved around enough as a result that now I can't wear the partial (and the more I don't have somehting in there, the more it seems ALL my teeth are moving around a little).

Today the dentist told me that ebcause this had happened, he can't fix that gap with a bridge or anything other than *maybe* another "flap" and that he can't do the flap yet because he'd need another clay mold of my teeth and my jaw won't open wide enough yet to get that. So much for having anything at all concealing that gap when I head back to the classroom in January! And if the best I can get is another flap, I think that means if I go out to eat anywhere (assuming I become able to swallow again and would want to do this) I will have to remove my little flap and become gap-toothed again.

The whole social aspect of this, and the swallowing, really are depressing me. There are so many occassions that are social and where food is involved which right now I have to go to and not eat anything but now it looks like maybe forever I will have a choice of skipping them or looking like a gap-toothed granny. And I feel emotionally unpreapred for this. No one warned me.

But is this dentist RIGHT? I can't be the only person who went through rad and chemo and couldn't wear a flap--is there *really* no more permanent fix so at least I could eat and look like I have a full set of teeth in the front of my mouth?


Help--any advice or experience here would be welcome.

And yes, I know in the grand scheme of thinsg what's important is that the treatment got the cancer but I'm STILL depressed about this!

Nelie

Nelie, I have no info or experience with this, but I wondered if the dentist could somehow realign the teeth that have "migrated" by using rubber bands or braces, in the hopes that your current "flap" would then fit again.
The other thing I have to offer is my best wishes that your therabyte exercises will work well enough so that by January you will be able to open your jaw enough for the impressions to be taken for a new flap.
Hang in there!!

Andrea

Nelie,

That sounds like bullshit to me. I have had all sorts of dental work, including molds for crowns, and I stopped using the Thera-Bite 2 years ago. Find a dentist that can do what is needed so you can get a new bridge. Unless there is bone involvement, this is not Rocket Science.

Glenn

First, lets get a bit of terminology straight. It appears that the prosthetic replacement partial denture you had which was essentially a piece of plastic with some denture teeth attached, and a few embedded wires to clasp on to remaining dentition, is what is commonly referred to as a

"Interdigitate" had me reaching for the dictionary.But that was a very educational post. I'd like to add, Nelie, that Brian's comment about missing lower teeth not being very visible is true. 3 weeks after surgery to remove all of my lower teeth and before I could have the implants, I attended a 4 day conference with 249 other folks. I practiced a smile that was not quite so wide, and the major problem I had was what I could eat. Breakfast buffets were no problem [scrambled eggs,grits,yogerts, etc] at lunch, soup, salad and sandwiches were served and I ate lots of soup. The dinners were hard and I ordered room service after the evening meetings. But it was doable and I was proud of myself for going. Just try to remember "beauty lies in the eye of the beholder" We all know you are a beautiful person. Amy

Thanks for that post, Brian. That was a lot of helpful information. It sounds like loosing two teeth right in the front of my mouth was kind of the worst possible place since they are the ones that sort of hold in place all the other teeth. Not that I had much choice--those teeth were definitely going anyway.

In fairness to my dentist, I was referred to him sort of at the last minute (when my second opinion made it clear I would need raidation) by my ENT and he got me in within a week, although technically he was booked through June (it was early March) and not accepting any new patients. He basically double-booked me to check my teeth and do the extractions as soon as possible so there wouldn't be further delay in the radiation. He's probably the most experienced and best educated dentist in town about oral cancer and the after- effects of radiation (and surgery) that can affect dental issues(according to both my ENT and the oral surgeon in town who is THE oral surgeon to go to if you've had radiaiton). And the dental world may use the term "flipper" but my dentist apparently prefers the term "flap" (although he once also referred to it as "your party teeth" which I thought was amusing).

However, I guess he thought I could wear that flipper through radiation and I do wonder about that as I can't be the only person who had mucositis way too bad to wear soemthing like that and I am a little annoyed he didn't tell me how important it was or I would have called him when it became too painful. But just out of curiousity, would there be soemthing else he could have done then, in the middle of radiation and chemo, or right before,to keep my teeth from moving around?

Anyway, as far as the future goes, I agree with you, Brian, I don't want something semipermanent in there if it could cause periodontal disease. I've already struggled with periodontal disease around that area and I don't want to do anything that could aggravate that.

I know the missing teeth aren't all that visible--even when I smile, although not having teeth there can mean that occassionaly I drool (not that I have enough saliva for that to happen often but sometimes this happens after I use one of the biotene moisturizers) and this is something I would REALLY prefer I didn't do in the front of a college classroom. But it seems I will probably have to wait at least a couple of months to get a new flipper (its good motivation to keep using that therabite several times a day).

I think I will call him and try to talk about the issue of putting in something temporary to keep the other teeth from moving around more--as long as its something I can brush around--I can feel my bite is off in the back of my mouth. My back teeth feel like they are rubbing against each other the wrong way. I'd probably be noticing it more were I up to eating solid foods--and I certainly don't want to make that even worse.

Amy, yeah if I can get to eating soft foods, going out to eat at something like a conference would be manageable. Unfortunately, a lot of the social eating things I attend are college funtions with food provided by our (not very good) college meal service company and there's not such a wide choice of stuff. Often its veggies with dip and sandwich fixings with big chewy dry rolls. I think I just need to learn to not eat at these things and bring stuff for before or later.

Nelie

Nelie,

You will be able to have teeth there. If the dentist you are seeing can't help you, please send me an e-mail or a private message and I will put you in touch with a dentist who you can help you replace your both teeth temporarily and permanently.

Barb

Thanks Barb, I appreciate that. I had been thinking about emailing you anyway.