Any dentist who your mother sees that is not experienced in treating oral cancer patients should not be an option for your mother. Unfortunately, most dentists are NOT equipped to properly care for someone who has had OC. Any OC patient who went thru radiation treatments MUST for the rest of their lives pay careful attention to their dental needs. That means brushing and flossing after every meal plus in the morning and at night before bed. They should also continue using their flouride trays.... every single day! Teeth take a very hard hit from patients who have rads. I ended up losing ALL my teeth from radiation damage and that was using the flouride trays daily. A water pik used on its lowest setting with warm water and non-alcohol mouth rinse or prescription peridex is another great tool to help make certain your mom is getting in between her teeth to keep them as clean as possible. Many OC survivors will see a prostheodontist instead of a regular dentist.

If your mothers teeth are bad enough that she needs extractions, make sure she is seeing someone who sends her to hyperbaric oxygen treatments (HBO). The Marx protocol is 20 dives prior to and 10 dives after any extraction. This should help to prevent further problems with osteoradionecrosis (ORN) which brings a whole set of other problems if she ends up with that.

Best wishes with your mothers current teeth issues. Prior to selecting which dental professional to go with, a second opinion would be a wise move. Good luck!!!