 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | Welcome to OCF Stephen. There are over 8000 members of OCF. Recently there has been a thread about losing teeth from radiation damage. I would guess that there could be at most 20-40 members who have been affected by this. That figure is actually very low out of 8000! My teeth werent the best going into rads so it wasnt a huge surprise to me. I had fully expected to get implants or dentures unfortunately I had a Stage IV recurrence with complications making future teeth next to impossible.
It is imperative that an oral cancer patient who goes thru radiation use flouride trays for life and take impeccable care of their teeth. Brush after every single meal, use a waterpik with some peridex (prescription mouthwash) watered down twice a day and use the trays nightly. This will become a routine for you.
Best wishes with your treatments and recovery!
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive  | 
