i am 18 year survivor stage 3/4 tonsil cancer now dealing with osteoradionecrosis in left mandible with infection in lower jaw back molar as well. had. charity dental treatment for several years but no longer. No dental insurance but medicare and supplement F in place. Was on Medicaid before 65 and no oral surgeons accepted it in my area. Hoping Medicare will be more helpful.

i am just starting to have recurring difficult to treat dental infections again. have had three in past 18 years requiring 20/10 hyperbaric treatments for each extraction. just finished third extraction a few months ago after 3 months of antibiotics prior to hyperbaric 20 dives followed by 10 more after extraction. Now the left back molar area hurts and my face is swollen...likely a dental infection as well as osteoradionecrosis already diagnosed in my mandible there.
Im sorry to hear what you are going thru. As for insurance... this could be considered medical due to it being related to the osteoradionecrosis. It all boils down to how things are coded in the office. If something is billed to medical insurance and it is denied you may need to appeal it and speak to the offcie manager as to exactly what codes were used and if that is correct.

Do NOT fool around with dental infections. They can quickly become a very serious health problem. Any swelling of the head/face/neck areas needs to be addressed before it gets worse, it could affect your breathing. A family doc can prescribe antibiotics. If necessary, go to the ER and get strong antibiotics started right away.

Good luck!!!


PS... Im sending you a private message (PM) with a link to help you with posting. click on the tiny flashing envelope.
Hi Barbee,

I have a similar story as far as ORN goes. I needed all my teeth extracted due to treatment, but it was not covered by Medicare. The oral surgeon in the cancer center did it for charity, but I was charged by the anesthesiologist, who I worked out a payment plan, but somewhere along the line, probably when I changed hospitals, i stopped making payments, and just remembered it as I write. I think they write it up as a loss. As a result from surgery, I developed ORN, and need further surgery, sequestromy, to heal the wound, which didn't work either.

I asked for more HBOT, and Pentofoxilline/Vitamin E, but the surgeon said it was already late stage ORN, there are three stages at one society, four another, so I had a mandibulectomy, which I needed additional surgery for the leg wound.

As far as medicare goes, you may have to appeal any denials. I was also reading into teeth extractions surgically, which may be covered if it’s done by other than a dentist, but at this point of time, four years, I forget all the particulars. There is a medicare ruling on this, if you want to look it up or may have posted here in 2014.

I hope this helps.



© Oral Cancer Support - Survivor / Patient Forum