I am concerned about the dental work. We did not have time to pull any more teeth and wait for the healing prior to RT. I have an excellent mallifaxol surgeon, but what type of dentist do I need for checkups and things? My old dentist has no clue about H&N, radiation or what the effects are on your teeth.

Has anyone with a flap gotten dentures or any type of teeth replacement? I think that it would help to make my bottom lip look more normal. How does it affect your speech?? My surgeon says that it is possible for me to get dentures or even implants - I do not think this is correct. Does anyone have any information on this?

Get a recommendation from your surgeon for a dentist familiar with post-radiation work. Although I have no personal experience with post-radiation dental work involving the bone (yet...), my understanding from reading this forum is that implants are possible.

You need to find a prosthodontist that has experience with post-radiation patients.

Try looking in the Yellow Pages under the dentist specialty guide and if none are listed try calling the local or state dental society to try to find one.

Jerry

You can easily find a prosthondontist on the American College of Prosthodontists website. Just enter your zip code:

http://www.prosthodontics.org/patients/find.asp

You guys are AWSOME. I would really like to think that someday I might look a little less mangled. Sometimes I scare children at church and it just upsets me to think that I will look like a monster forever. I am not vain, please don't get me wrong. The first time I saw myself in the mirror post surgery I did not know who it was. I look better than that now, 7 weeks later. I'm sure that time will help, but so would some teeth!!

children are forever bombarded with images on tv etc. and do not understand, so please do not take it personally. it is so hard when we lose the image of ourselves due to disease, but this is when we draw on the inside to remain focused on the fact that we have not changed, just the outward appearance. let close friends and family affirm this for you and never take the negative to heart and know that it will all improve with time.

there is a man here locally that has a rare disease that causes his face to grow multiple benign tumors ... we are talking huge and disfiguring - he calls it elephant man. he works at a safeway as a cashier and everyone loves him, though children he said cry and scream when they see him at times but he is so loving and such an awesome person ... anyways the community raised the money for him to have surgery to fix it ... very expensive surgery but he just went for it a few weeks ago ... it was touching. i said all that to say this ... people (who matter) will see you for who you are ... children will come around as they understand, and the people who do not see the real you, didn;t matter anyway in the scheme of things.

you are awesome, and never think otherwise

I had my teeth removed over six years ago. My doctor told me that is what probably saved me from having the cancer infect my bones. The last few years before I had my teeth removed I was having severe trouble with my gums and would have had to have extensive work to save some of my teeth just to loose them soon after. It became a question of comfort and cost. A one time dentist appointment vs. root cannals, pulling drilling and fillings. After having them pulled I didn't have dentures for two years...Now all I can wear is my top dentures and am anxious to get my lower dentures back. It wasn't not having my teeth in that seemed to scare people it was the scar from the neck dissection, trach and skin graph. I was told in about six to eight months can check into new dentures and my doctor is sure they will be able to fit me.

I have had nearly all of my bottom teeth removed due to having to have just about all of my lower jaw bone (mandible) removed and reconstructed and will be starting the process of getting implants.

My maxillofacial surgeon has recommended the prosthodontist that I will be seeing.

Karen

Good1
You will find plenty of great information about dental care and post OC cancer treatment dental care on this site if you search previous posts. Ther are also many here who will offer their personal experiences and give you great advice.
It sounds like your OMF surgeon is on the ball and as my colleague Jerry states, find a prosthodontist.
Wether you have no teeth or a few teeth left, you still have the same treatment options that non-cancer patients have. The only difference being that their may be certain precautions and or limitations to the way the treatment is performed.
I know that my statement is very vague but I would be happy to answer any questions you may have. Let me know if I can help.
Cheers,
Mike

4 teeth removed bottom right to attach the flap so dentures or implants will never be an option.
Therefore even though I have my own teeth on top right they don't have any work to do (except maybe fill out my cheek).
If I lost these I would have to look at options if just for cosmetic reasons.