Stephen, it sounds to me as though you've taken all the right precautions. As I'm sure your docs have told you, radiation can affect your parotid (salivary) glands rather negatively. Every one of us has a different reaction so you'll need to see how much xerostomia (dry mouth) you end up with. Which probably seems like crazy talk right now to you, as no doubt you're experiencing all kinds of excess mucous from the RT.

But that will go away in time (even though it can be hard to believe sometimes). There are a number of products that can help with the dryness and I hope you've been given prescriptions for appropriate fluids and balms, etc.

Many of the post-treatment products are made by Biotene, which is the brand of toothpaste and mouthwash recommended to me and that I use every day in addition to the fluoride trays. They also make gels and gum and whatnot.

As you progress through treatment and recovery please ask your team about this, as well as all of us here.

You're meeting this challenge with great spirit and courage!

Thinking of you.