Hi Folks: I am one and a half year post treatment and today my dentist recommended that I get two wisdom teeth removed. I remember hearing somewhere about dental surgery/extractions on a mouth that has undergone radiation. Anyone have any advice/information about that? Should I try to see someone who specializes in dental oncology? Are there such dentists? Any help appreciated. -Michelle

You need to have whats called the Marx Protocol with 20 hyperbaric oxygen treatments (HBO) prior and 10 after for any extractions. This will help avoid osteoradionecrosis. A prostodontist should be an expert with oral cancer dental issues and would be the best one to seek out.

Somewhere along the way I was told that hyperbaric oxygen should be avoided, if possible, because cancer thrives on oxygen. I think it was told to me to convince me to have my molars removed before radiation tx.

Actually it's the opposite a lot of cancers have trouble surviving in an o2 rich environment.

From the American Cancer Society's site, link below. There are a lot of myths circulating around the internet, and some sound very valid...but let's stick to science based advice.

http://www.cancer.org/treatment/tre...calandbiologicaltreatment/oxygen-therapy


"Available scientific evidence does not support claims that increasing oxygen levels in the body will harm or kill cancer cells."

Thank you. It sounds as if hyperbaric oxygen treatment is pretty standard. I have an appointment with my oncologist next week. Hopefully, he can recommend a good oral surgeon.

Actually the question is about O2 as a preventer of osteoradionecrosis, or to most people healing complications during dental surgery after radiation treatments.

Here is the OCF page that speaks to that. http://www.oralcancerfoundation.org/dental/hyperbaric.htm

Eric's link takes you to a page that speaks to using oxygen as a TREATMENT for cancer.

Personally, if you have had radiation treatments I would not have ANY extraction without doing this. I do recommend that your surgeon talk to your oncologist PRIOR to doing anything. In many cases impacted wisdom teeth do not need to be removed. I have had two of them for my entire life that are buried in the mandible, horizontally impacted, and have ever been an issue. They can if in direct contact with the roots of the second molars in front of them, be a problem sometimes as they are capable of resorbing some of the calcium from those roots and damaging the second molars. This is very age related. Some people have an issue of them crowding the lower teeth together towards the midline, and dentists want to take them out to prevent that. But this is a much lesser issue.

After radiation any dental surgery should be taken very seriously, as osteoradionecrosis is a serious issue for all of us that have ben radiated. It can start a cascade of problems and infections from a non healing extraction site that can be very difficult to treat.

Ditto to what Brian said. There are two different questions here... treatment for cancer, and HBO treatments to prevent osteonecrosis and promote tissue healing.

I would have elaborated on my answer but things have been a bit harried here as of late. A friend finally passed from a brutal death from peritoneal cancer (she was 60 lbs at the end) and my dad is in the hospital.

In regards to one of the postings a fear of O2 feeding cancer... it's actually the opposite as I believe Eric's link may infer (haven't checked it) most cancers prefer a hypoxic environment. That's one of the reasons studies show that smokers - generally do more poorly during, and after rads, and in regards to survival rates. They also suggest higher survival rates amongst people who walked for short periods (I walked my dog minimum once a day - usually twice - for 20-30 minutes) during treatment. I missed maybe three days total during and after rads.

This of course increases O2 intake and perforation of tissues and helps fight cancer if it is a cancer that prefers a hypoxic environment.