Nancy

Welcome to OCF! This site has been quite valuable to me as I went thru a similar process as you last year. Surgery, to remove half my tongue and all my lymph nodes on that side, was April 1, 2020. I finished radiation on July 8, 2020.

My dental care has been a constant battle since radiation. I have had a couple root canals, 3-4 cavities, and receding gums around one of root canal areas. Significant dental care after oral radiation seems to be a norm. Receding gums on the other hand, seems to be an outlier. I don't hear this often and my oncologist says it is weird to show up so quickly due to radiation. I also go to my dentist 4x per year plus repair work. I am told this higher frequency is needed to keep an eye on everything and that we need cleaning more often. Lack of saliva drives a lot of our issues and allows more bacteria/tartar buildup/etc. I assume you are using the prescription flouride gel and trays daily and brushing after everything you eat and flossing/gum picks/etc.

I suspect the receding gums and root canals have more to do with trauma/damage/decay I already had in that area. I had a couple crowns there already. Then, radiation zapped it and made it worse quicker. Throw in a lack of saliva and its a recipe for lots of dental work. Total guess on my part.

I found a good dentist that also has some experience with oral cancer patients. Hope you have the same. Keep us informed. Especially if you learn anything about the receding gums. I have been stumped on that so far.

Best
Nels