I recently went to a new dentist who took the panaromatic x-ray so that they could make me denture and not to my surprise was told that my bottom right jaw bone is ready to break just like my collar bone a spontaneous fracture(a year ago)(they can't repair it) due to overdose of radiation some 32 years ago. Been doing my research before I see my cancer doctor and found that hyperbartic oxygen treatment with a bone stimulate can in some cases repair the bone. And I read a jaw transplant doesn't have a high rate of success and it's 10 hour surgery. On the web site it referred me to this website for more information. I am hoping someone can tell me if they have experienced this new adventure to survive. I always try to pretend I know more about my situation before going in and seeing my doctors sometimes they get intimidated LOL. And of course I always want to prove them wrong. 35 years ago they told me I was terminal and look at me now. Hasn't been easy but oh yea worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hope to hear from some one. Keep the faith and Bless us all. thank you for reading my post.

Kathleen I have gone thru the jaw surgery (mandibulectomy). I wish I could tell you it was easy but it definitely was not. Hopefully your experience will be better than mine.

Yes, its a long surgery. The surgeons must join teeny tiny blood vessels to ensure it is a success. Often a plastic surgeon is a part of the surgical team. Down the road (after 1 year) the plastic surgeon can do adjustments to perfect appearances. Ive met several who have had a mandubulectomy and they have all had barely a noticeable scratch.

The 3 types of replacement jaw bones are using a piece the patients lower leg, a titanium plate, or a cadaver jaw bone. I had complications due to my body rejecting the titanium plate. This kept me in the hospital for 2 months. Its very rare a patient will go thru what I did. Most mandibulectomy patients stay only about a week in the hospital.

If you type in mandibulectomy in the search bar, you will find many posts about this subject.

Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Good luck with everything!!!

I had a segmental mandibulectomy with a fibula free flap for late stage ORN, Osteoradionecrosis, done in one surgery, pretty much the standard now, in September, which surgery took 8 hours, but had doctors from a CCC that were very experienced with this who had a 2% failure rate, but my case was upped to 5%. I have a titanium plate in my jaw, besides the fibular, to help with bone integration, and also have titanium plates in the chest to help heal the ribs due to vessels needed for the flap being vessel depleted in my neck. I also needed a skin paddle from my calf, placed in the neck to help closure, healing, being I had a number of neck dissections and radiation treatments causing severe neck fibrosis.

When I had my last panoramic x-ray with my oral surgeon, who I was seeing for dental care, dedridement, sequestromy, I was sent for a CT scan to confirm, and show the extent of ORN, which was full thickness (stage lll) at that point, requiring major surgery, in addition too osteomyelitis, an infection, common with ORN. By the time I had surgery done by my ENT and plastic surgeon, I was told my jaw was fractured, and surprised that I wasn't in more pain than I had. I'm not sure if yours is related to radiation, sounds it, but a complete jaw fracture makes it a grade lll ORN automatically. They usually follow a step ladder/paradigm treatment for ORN, but one can be at or progress to any stage.

I've heard about some type of treatment you describe for jaw damage. One is with stem cells, cadaver bone, and medication, after some type surgery, done by Dr. Robert Marx at the University of Miami, but read that radiation related was still being studied, so I never ventured that route. I'm not sure about HBOT to stimulate bone growth with late stage ORN, I heard it can't. It is used in early stage ORN l & ll, sometimes with pentafoxiline and vitamin E, which improves blood flow/angeogenesis, and also to help healing tissue, flaps, before/after surgery, prevent ORN and other indications.

Here is an article about jaw stem cells.

http://www.ksat.com/health/mending-mouths-rebuilding-jawbones-with-stem-cells

I hope this helps, good luck!