Hi all,

Just before Xmas I had root canal therapy on one of my lower front teeth. I have a temporary cap on it and cannot see my dentist until next week for hopefully the final treatment (here in OZ everyone is on summer holidays). It is killing me, even when using my fluoride trays, also with my calcium mousse...I'm back on the Panadeine Forte

Has any one else experienced such grief with a root therapy? Shall I lose that tooth perhaps? I spoke to the Dental surgeon at the hospital before this treatment commenced and he said my own dentist would be OK (he knows him).

Cheers!

Tizz (who hates going to the dentist, as she inherited %#@* teeth from her father)

If I were you I would seek medical attention (not dental) ASAP. Radiated bone is chemically different from normal bone and remains so throughout your life.
You know the drill. You may need oxygen saturation therapy to prevent mandibular necrosis.
Darrell

Tizz,

I have to have some dental work done in the future. I met with my ENT yesterday and discussed several subjects. Hyperbaric Oxygen was one of them. It may also help with healing a fistula that I had develope after my radiation. It has been slow to heal.

My second option is to opt for corrective surgery. If my insurance company approves the treatments, I may go the oxygen treatment route first. Maybe I'll be lucky and surgery will not be required.

I agree with Darrell......see a medical professional soon.

Good luck to you,

John

Hey,

Just got word from my ENT. I've been approved for Hyperbaric Oxygen treatments. I'll go to Pittsburgh next week for an evaluation. I'm looking forward to the treatments to see if it helps this pesky fistula that I have. Should alleviate some of my fears over the dental surgery that I have to have in the future as well. I'm thankful that I have an ENT that goes out of his way to see that I get the best care from all doctors involved. He really keeps on top of things with me. I trust his judgement. If I didn't understand something that another doctor told me, I'd ask him and he would explain it to me.

I'll keep you guys updated on my adventure.

John

Hi guys,

Yep, I know the drill, but there is apparently only one HBO place in Sydney! And it's very difficult to get approval The Radio Onc I saw last November said that part of my jaw wasn't in the field of radiation, so root canal should be OK...

John, where is your fistula? Good luck!

I'll let you know as things progress.

Cheers!

Tizz

Tizz,

I had a fistula develope on my chin. It's on the side where my surgery, and radiation was focused. I never had the darn thing until after radiation. It's been a nuisance ever since. I'm really hoping that the oxygen treatment does the trick. I'll have the surgery if necessary, but I'll gladly avoid it if I can.

Good luck with your root canal problem.

John

I still nightmares of a root canal I had many, many years ago. I think the nazis's thought that one up as the ultimate form of torture. The front teeth are the most sensitive of all. The same tooth cracked eventually and developed a fistula which went away once the oral surgeon removed the tooth and hence the infectuion (this was just before my cancer adventure).

Hi Gary,

I just luuurrv root canal therapy One I had a few years back was for the lower rear molar. It was discovered that I had a "C" root (yep, looks like the letter!), more common in Asians (I'm not). The dentist had to find extra tools to get right down in there, and of course delighted in showing his assistants my unusual root! Five or six treatments later, lots of dollars, I lived to tell the tale.

Now I'm on display again, with the radiated mouth...maybe I should counter-charge for viewing rights?

Cheers!

Tizz

Tizz,

I'm with you on charging for viewing rights. Being in the Boston area, I tend to have some of my regular head and neck followup visits at a couple of the local Harvard teaching hospitals, and on more than one occasion some ENT has looked at my lopsided tongue and neck scar and called in some residents with a "Hey, come take a look at this!" I guess now that it's been so many years since treatment, I find it kind of amusing.

Cathy

Hi Tizz,
I'm curious as to how your root canal problems are going?

My dentist wants to cap my four center lower teeth and he says the two center ones need a root canal before he drills. There is nothing wrong with the roots, but he is afraid he will expose a nerve while drilling. I am dead against this, but need to have the teeth capped before they decay anymore. He is telling me I will NOT need HBO treatments for root canal even though these teeth were in the field of radiation. Anyone know if that is true? I'd have a heart attack before they every got me in a HBO chamber and my insurance won't cover.

Thanks,
Eileen