Norma,

I just want to add a couple of recommendations for your husband -- in addition to Gary's very thorough list.

Brushing his teeth after every meal (if he's not already doing that), will help. Also, if he's dealing with lingering dry mouth problems, he should try to combat them with regular drinks of water, as well as using products like Biotene (and maybe Salagen or Evoxac) that help to remoisturize the mouth. Dry mouth can contribute greatly to future dental problems, so it should be fought vigorously.

Some time ago my oral surgeon strongly recommended that two of my four annual cleanings be done in a periodontist's office, so that I get a regular checkup by a specialist in gum disease -- I've been doing that for a couple of years now.

At this stage -- 17 years after my treatment -- I still have all my original teeth. I occasionally have to have filling work done, and once in awhile I've had a gum graft, but otherwise the checkups so far have been pretty routine (thankfully).

Cathy