Cathy is right. Any reduction in saliva whether salivary glands are removed during surgery or damaged during radiation, in turn, reduces the amount of natural clensing (flouride, etc.) that is done on the teeth. Since saliva is what carries flouride, etc., supplements are usually required.

I have a flouride rinse I use that I brush in after brushing with Biotene toothpaste (special toothpaste for drymouth folks). The dentist has in the past given me a prescription flouride toothpaste to use.

Flossing becomes more important as well. Saliva is usually thicker after radiation and does not do as good a job cleaning between the teeth. This is the part of oral hygene I struggle with because of the surgery I had. They removed 1/3 of my tongue on the right by basically taking the chunk out around the tumor and sewing it back. In the process the nerve endings got rerouted. So when I floss between my right lower teeth, it feels like someone is poking me with a needle in the right side of the tongue. I am 4 years out from surgery and it still hurts to floss that side, so the dentist has said, do the best I can.

If your husband still has his wisdom teeth, you may want to see about having those removed pre-radiation treatments. The oral cavity will change during radiation and when it was done, I no longer had room for my four wisdom teeth. Pulling them was a much bigger ordeal post-radiation.

Jim