Welcome to OCF, katsmom! Congrats on your 22 yr post cancer anniversary!!!!

Im very glad you have found our group!!! Finding dental professionals who are up to date with their knowledge about oral cancer, its brutal treatments and the effects OC treatments have on patients dental needs may be quite a challenge. Many here have seen dental oncologists which are usually not easy to find, try looking at the major comprehensive cancer centers (CCC). Also prosthodontists have had extra years of training for complex patient issues so they may be a big help. Oral surgeons do just that... they cut an d once its gone it can never be exactly hoiw it was before. Has anyone from your dental professionals discussed hyperbaric oxygen treatments (HBO) with you? Prior to having any teeth extracted post rads you should be doing 20 HBO "dives" before and 10 more immediately after the dental extraction. This is called the Marx Protocol named after Dr Marx from FL who discovered and created the process for helping OC patients. Ive done too many HBO's to count anymore and while I greatly dislike being forced to take a 2 hour rest while breathing pressurized oxygen, it really is one of the easiest procedures for OC patients. If you havent yet discussed HBO then it would be a very important conversation to have! If HBO is not done, patients risk having a much bigger problem down the road... osteoradionecrosis. Basically that is when the jawbone dies. Its very painful and must be removed in a long complex surgery. Any doc who doesnt discuss HBO with you prior to recommending extractions and/or implants is NOT familiar with treating OC patients/survivors which could put you in a very dangerous situation. After going thru rads for OC, most patients jawbones have become weakened are not able to sustain the drilling to hold dental implants. Dental issues that would normally be simple procedures for almost all patients are a very different story for those who have had OC usually with rads. There are a few members here who have been able to get dental implants, not alot but I know we do have some. Hopefully they will chime in soon with more info and advice.

Best wishes!!