Infection in jaw bone is a very serious issue - I think it is called mandible osteomylitis, which is very difficult to treat, especially for patients who have gone through radiation treatment in head and neck area.

I had infection twice after my surgery and my ENT was also very worried about the infetion got into my jaw bone, he ordered nuclear scan to determine if osteomylitis has occurred in my manible, I also saw an infectitious doctor for the infection. Fortunately, they said the infection was not in the jaw bone yet, so I took about 9 weeks of oral antibiotics. If there were any sign of osteomylitis in mandible, I would take IV antibiotics too.

The best thing to do is to stop the infection before it gets into the jaw bone, sometime, it is necessary to ask for hyperbarice oxygen treatment.


WZ | Stage 4, Tonsillar Cancer Aug, 2002