I am 21 months out of treatment. Three months post rad my dentist said that I had peridontal disease and that unfortunately I would lose my teeth. My cancer doctor told me that I must go to an oral surgeon and not a dentist. After seeing an oral surgeon that lives nearby in this small community he puts me in touch with a prosthodontist whom he's worked with in the past. Together they decide that implants are the best solution for me. I already have an upper denture so the surgeon will remove the teeth on the bottom and then place four implants and "snap" a plate onto that. Then they will make a new upper plate to accommodate the bottom one. They tell me that I will have a beautiful smile and a lot more function. It's pricey but I think well worth it. They both assure me that they have spoken with my cancer doctor and we can move forward. Before making the final steps I go to see my cancer doctor for a routine check up. I mentioned about getting implants soon and the doctor says that I have had more radiation in that area then he previously thought (5000 units to lower jaw). He says that I should go with conventional dentures and not implants. He says he will speak with the oral surgeon. They talk and get back to me. Surgeon says I'll need hyperbaric treatments before and after implants. He says it's more trauma just pulling the teeth rather than placing implants. My cancer doctor repeats what surgeon says but will not give me his opinion one way or another. Now I'm stating to feel apprehensive about the whole procedure. I discover that the surgeon has only had experience with a handful of cancer patients. I was initially under the impression he had more then that. So now I go to a well known cancer center forty miles away in Pittsburgh for a second opinion. I am examined by an oral surgeon/MD. He says "absolutely no implants". He said "look, if you were my mother or my aunt I would tell you this...get the teeth removed and wait six weeks for the gums to heal and then get dentures". He said that he strongly reccomends hyperbaric treatments, twenty before and ten after. He tells me that if I had 5,500 units he would INSIST on hyperbaric but just being short of that it is my call. He further adds that if any implants or dentures were placed on top of sore gums then it would defeat the whole purpose of hyperbaric and do me no good.
Now I'm really confused. Why would I be told two totally different approaches? I have a gut feeling that the second surgeon has my best interests at heart and he certainly has experience with cancer patients but I can't even imagine walking around with no bottom teeth for six weeks. My concern is that if I go without teeth for a period of time then I won't keep them in when I do get them. Before cancer I got my upper plate day of extraction and kept them in since. Has anyone had experience waiting until the healing process is over and then have you adjusted and worn your dentures since? And where could I get the best custom fit denture made?