Susan,

He should see his dentist for a thorough exam before starting treatment to look for any possible problems and have them taken care of before treatment. Healthy teeth are generally not removed because of RT. Generally having a cavity filled or even a root canal after treatment isn�t a problem, but a tooth extraction would be.

In my case I had a small cavity in one of my wisdom teeth, and they recommended removing all 4 wisdom teeth before RT because to do a tooth extraction after RT can be difficult and cause problems (healing and other issues related to ORN). My wisdom teeth were a tight fit in my mouth to begin with and my dentist felt it was best to remove all 4 before treatment, than to risk needed to remove them after treatment.

Also, they recommend using fluoride trays during treatment and in most cases for the rest of your life to minimize tooth decay due to dry mouth issues. So he should have the trays made before treatment begins (but after any teeth extractions that may be needed).

And it is a good idea to have a good cleaning at this point, because his mouth will be pretty sore for a few months after treatment.