hello everyone!

my mom just finished her 18th fraction of IMRT today. she has 12 more to go. her last day of radiation is christmas eve.

she's getting treated in korea, and dental care during and after radiation cancer treatment isn't a big thing here. i had to fight a war to get her fitted with fluoride trays for her teeth, which were ready yesteryday. i am very glad to be starting her on protecting her teeth from the effects of radiation. thank god for this forum. i am getting most of my information from these amazing forums.

one problem, is that the only kind of fluoride gel we can get here in korea, is "1.23% fluoride ion". this is used every once or twice a year, by children, to prevent cavities.

there is no 1.1% sodium fluoride gel, which is what everyone in the states is getting for the trays. and i can't get it shipped here from the states, because i need a prescription to get it in the first place.

has anyone ever heard of using 1.23% fluoride ion gel, for their daily trays?

it's called "60 second", and the label says: "APF Topical Fluoride Gel. 1.23% fluoride ion from sodium fluoride and hydrofluoric acid. Optimized low pH for a complete fluoride treatment in 60 seconds."

i would appreciate any help... any dentists on this forum? would it be possible for anyone to ask their cancer dentist if this gel is ok to use everyday, and how many minutes...? :-?

i am anxious for my mom to start protecting her teeth.... 2 weeks into radiation, her gold caps and fillings started chipping and peeling off.

soo.

Soo,

I found this on the Web. maybe this will help. It sounds like what you have may be OK but let's hope Jerry or Brian comment.

Fluoride treatments are designed to provide an appropriate concentration of fluoride at a pH level that will help the correct amount of fluoride deposit on the teeth. If the fluoride level is too low the treatment will not be effective; if it is too high the patients might accidentally be poisoned. In the United States, laws have been created to ensure that these products are safe and efficacious. The FDA regulates them as either over-the-counter (OTC) drugs or as professional products for use by dentists. In addition, the FDA limits the size of commercially available products to reduce the possibility of accidental overdose. Finally, the organization determines labeling requirements for all commercial products and some aspects of professional ones. These requirements most be taken into consideration when designing fluoride treatments.

OTC fluoride-containing drugs include toothpaste and mouth rinse. Professional products are more concentrated and may be applied either as a gel, foam, or liquid. They may be designed to be applied using plastic trays that fit around the teeth. Depending on the type of product being formulated, the development chemist can choose from several types of FDA approved actives. Once again, these regulatory factors must be considered in product design.

Key examples of treatment formulations are: acidulated phosphate fluoride gel with 1.23% fluoride ion at pH 3.5, designed to flow easily during tray placement yet thickens during treatment so it does not drip down the patient's throat; sodium fluoride gel with 2% fluoride ion at pH 7.0, for use when etching of porcelain restorations is a concern; stannous fluoride liquid rinse with 0.63% fluoride ion, designed to prevent decay, reduce plaque accumulation, and help reduce gingival inflammation and bleeding; APF fluoride foam with 1.23% fluoride ion at pH 3-4.25, designed as an easy to use non-aerosol foam that reduces accidental ingestion by the patient.

As a coincidence I had a dentist appt this am and asked my dentist about the 1.23 Ion and he said it's really meant for kids as the acid etches their teeth and allows the fluoride to bond better but he does not recommend it long term for adults as it will etch the tops of your teeth and damage the enamel. He also said that with the etching will come the possibility of staining. He did say despite all this it is better than nothing for your circumstances.

I also sent you a PM.

We purchased Colgate GelKam on Amazon.com. Active Ingredients: Stannous Fluoride 0.4% (W/W)

We use this with disposable fluoride trays. We are waiting to get out of the active chemo and radiation copays to get the perm ones made...

I don't know if they ship to Korea, but you can try! :o)

Brenda

I also use the GelKam. It is non prescription and according to my prosthodontist is better than the 1.1 sodium fluoride. You want he fruit and bwerry flavor, the mint will be too spicy and burn.

Take care,
Eileen

I found the GelKam, (fruit flavour), to make my teeth sting. I presume it's not pH neutral. You may not have this issue, but if you do, you're not alone. My favourite fluoride gel product is the PCXX made in Canada (I've only used the no-flavour version and recommend it). This page includes a list of Canadian and US distributors. It is not a prescription item in Canada, but I don't know if any of these distributors will ship overseas, or at what cost:

http://www.epsross.com/PCxx.entry.htm

It's a great product, though.

I'm in London, England now and haven't managed to find a way to get this, but I've since been prescribed a different product here (which I haven't tried yet).

Good luck.

-Seth

Be careful with the Stannos Fluoride as it also can cause staining as many on this site have complained about it. My dentist prefers a neutral PH like the sodium.

hello everyone,

yes, stannous fluoride can stain your teeth over time... i did a search for each type of fluoride david listed above to learn more about them and many people complan about the staining. trying to remove the stains and whiten your teeth afterwards may pose problems too... whitening treatments seem to increase the chance of cavities.

and i learned that the 1.23% APF fluoride ion leave etches over porcelain over time. :-/

someone has been incredibly kind to procure me a tube of 1.1% neutral sodium fluoride. i can't wait to get it!

i will still have to somehow find a way to get my mom a regular supply for the future, but for now, this one tube is a life-saver!!!

soo.

If it works then we can do this forever.

Seth, I visited that link. Very interesting stuff and I'd like to try it out. I note that the distributors mentioned there seem to be dental supply houses. Were you able to get them to sell to you (especially in the bulk quantities they list)? Or did you find another way to get their stuff?

I remember trying to get one of the skin care products I needed during radiation from a professional supply place and striking out. Curious how you were able to pull it off!

Thanks.
David 2

Thank you Seth for commenting on the PCxx Anticaries Gel, we are currently looking into supplying the products in the UK.

We do however offer the product throughout Canada & the US and although our Home Care gels are available without a doctor's prescription, seeing your physician, dentist or other qualified health care professional is always a good idea to ensure that there are no other problems.

The Anticaries Gel comes in a larger bottle but is also available in a Home Care Gel. For more information you can check it out here http://www.rosshealthcare.org/PCxx.home%20care%20gel.htm or join or facebook page search for Ross Healthcare Inc or follow us on Twitter at RossHealthcare.

If anybody has any questions please send them my way!

Thanks for that link, Ross. Or maybe I should call you Mr/Ms Healthcare.

I've gone to the websites of a couple of the suppliers though will wait to order until I speak with my dentist next week. If he gives the ok it certainly seems like an enormous savings over buying Prevident or Gel Kam from him. (assuming he doesn't mind losing the money....)

David 2

Ross Healthcare is a business not a person. They have joined OCF to sell their products.

I will give Russ Healthcare a tip of my hat for their candor in listing their occupation as "Sales and Marketing". They are upfront that they want to use OCF as a free advertising vehicle.
Since I seem to be the first one to notify the moderators, let me share my thoughts. If OCF is going to be a forum for oral cancer patient care suppliers, then it should charge them. Otherwise it's like being a pro-bono prostitute.
I know I can't support OCF the way I'd like, and money talks. I'd have no problem with a special sign up for pre vetted businesses like Carnation VHC or Biotene or maybe even this company but once you start letting OCF "members" be corporations, well, I guess it's in line with the Supreme Court's validation of the fiction that a corporation is a person. I say, hey good business should be able to do good and do well by giving Brian and OCF money.
Just my opinion
Charm

I tried for over a year to get CIB VHC on board with this site but as you can see I wasn't able to get anywhere with them.

We do watch all posters and I review all new members' profiles daily. I delete some who never get a chance to post; others after their first post and some I put on my "watch list". I did not see anything wrong with that first post as he was responding to a previous post and adding potentially valuable information. If they were to post again merely for profit I would delete it and send them a PM to make sure it didn't happen again. If it were to continue they would be banned.

David

Sounds eminently reasonable especially since RH is not flying under false colors. Thanks for your continued vigilance in keeping the forum "squared away" (as my Dad used to say)
Charm

I might add that I have other posters who will PM as soon as they suspect something amiss. Certainly I can't monitor this site 24/7. lol I do get e mail alerts from the site when any new member joins and any any new PM's but still there are times when I am not on this Board when a poster will "try" something so PLEASE help me monitor this site. Anytime anyone feels a poster is taking advantage of this site just PM me.

My dentist gave me the ok to use this stuff. But the only places I could find to order it online seem to be for dentists only. If anyone has another suggestion other than pretending to be a man of the tooth, I'd love to hear it.

thanks.
d2

I have to get a prescrip from my dentist but I have found a generic fluoride that is 1/3rd the cost of what the dentist originally started me on and the dentist is OK with it. I'm at work now but if you want the name of it just let me know.

Hi David, two things.

I feel a bit responsible for the initial post by Ross Healthcare, but I was very genuinely promoting their product (it's been great for me) and I do think they were trying to be helpful (but yes, of course, there is a fine line there regarding self-promotion, and I think you handled it perfectly......every situation is unique and applying strict rules can create a pretty unfriendly reality).

Second, I'd love to hear about this product you mention. In my case I've moved to the UK and can't easily get the RH product.

Thank you,

-Seth

Cypress 1.1 Sodium Fluoride is what I now have been using for probably 3 years or so, maybe longer. You know, time fly's...

One thing to watch out for is that Cypress makes two forumlations of 1.1 Flouride. There is the SF 1.1% GEL that is perfect for flouride trays and the SF 5000 Plus which does not work well in trays. While both are 1.1% flouride prescriptions, the SF 5000 is subtitle "prescription Dental Cream" while the Gel is subtitled " Prescription Gel". My pharmacy simply could not get it right because their computer brought either one up as exactly the same. They had to special order the Gel but now they understand.
Charm

Yes, like David I've been using the SF 5000 since post treatment. Inexpensive and seems effective (?). I brush it in well and no rinse for at least half an hour (Per Dentist instruction).
Steve

I use the SF 1.1 Gel.

What pharmacy do you buy this. I can't find anyone who has it or can order it.

Take care,
Eileen

I get it from Walgreens with a prescrip and have for years.

I have gotten mine from both Safeway and RiteAid pharmacies for the last three years.

Thanks. I'll get a script next time I go to periodontist.

Eileen