I'm a year post surgery and 9 - 10 months post rads. Because I lost a lot of teeth, now have two flaps in my mouth and had the mandibular nerve cut, I've struggled with eating. Before Christmas I was fitted with a partial metal denture for my front teeth and some on my good side. I could eat with difficulty with my plate in but now the build up of the molars on the good side has started and I can eat a few more things. I can go to a coffee bar and have some cheesecake and yoghurt. The coffee still dribbles a bit because of the nerve damage but it's reasonably manageable.

The next step is to have a bottom plate made so that I can chew properly on my right side and so I can have a tooth to push out the left lip where I have numbness and no bottom teeth. At the moment I have a radiant smile but when my mouth is relaxed the left side droops down quite markedly. (Just saw a photo of myself not smiling!)

This process through our public health system is agonisingly slow but it's free and I'm getting the services of one of the best prosthodontists in the country.

In a few months I might be a little bit more symmetrical and better still will stop biting my lip.

There's also the prospect of some feeling and control (?) returning to the nerve dead area. Not so much tingling now but sometimes I get a violent itch in my numb chin.

Posting this as part of the post-treatment experience and to see if others have had such a long dental process.

Decay is happening but superficial at the moment. I use a Waterpic plus a heavy duty fluoride toothpaste. I like sweet things though and have become a smoothie-aholic. And I've regained all the weight I lost during treatment. I have mixed feelings about this. I guess survival should trump vanity!

Survival trumps vanity mate.

I've needed some additional dental work with my left side doing all the work, but nothing as serious as yours.

Oz, do you get free dental treatment in Australia? As an oncology patient??