Eileen and Margaret,
I will ask about the teeth tonight, I may have missed something about the condition of them.
Thank you for your responses.

my two cents: The RO sent Buzz to dentist this week, just to check his teeth before beginning radiation/chemo...she thought that there was ONE that might need attention...Buzz' dentist said "no reason to take it out..it looks fine"..Buzz is almost 77 and still has all of his teeth except for a couple he lost in one of his wars...Korean, maybe? and wears a partial.
I have done HOURS of research re: teeth extraction before radiation, and MY PERSONAL conclusion is that pulling the teeth before radiation just isn't a requirement anymore...Feel free to disagree with me...

my two cents: The RO sent Buzz to dentist this week, just to check his teeth before beginning radiation/chemo...she thought that there was ONE that might need attention...Buzz' dentist said "no reason to take it out..it looks fine"..Buzz is almost 77 and still has all of his teeth except for a couple he lost in one of his wars...Korean, maybe? and wears a partial.
I have done HOURS of research re: teeth extraction before radiation, and MY PERSONAL conclusion is that pulling the teeth before radiation just isn't a requirement anymore...Feel free to disagree with me...

Hi Mariam,

Sorry to hear what you, your dad and your family are going through. You've gotten some very good advice above regarding the removal of 11 of your dad's teeth. I would like to back up these suggestions as a dentist.

The fact that your dad has all his teeth at 71 is great and if he doesn't have periodontal (gum) disease, then there is no reason that he should have any teeth out, except for maybe the wisdom teeth. With all that he will have to deal with, there is no need to add the additional problem of replacing teeth later.

It's good that you will be questioning this decision and I hope that the treatment plan is changed if there is nothing wrong with his teeth.

Jerry

My husband had one tooth pulled before radiation treatment. He was in his seventies and had all of his teeth. Months after radiation his teeth started to break apart and he needed to have all his teeth pulled but before they could do that he had to have 30 hyperbaric treatments, These treatments were necessary so that he wouldn't get a bone infection. He had floride trays made to help prevent the teeth from damage but he was just too sick and weak during his treatments to worry about his teeth. Eileen

Thank you for your responses, the original question I have is about choosing carboplatin rather than cisplatin to save Dad's hearing. They just got quiet about the dentistry stuff (overload?). I have a feeling this is how it will be: Tommorrow- I want a strategy meeting, they want a barbecue and have invited guests..(to my house!) I will make time with them to read all of your responses.
Thanks,
Mariam

Dear Mariam, if you haven't had time to read the discussion that Margaret suggested in her post above, try to do that. There is good information there to talk to the Docs about [carbo vs. cisplatin] Amy in the ozarks]

Mariam,
I don't want the oveload to become too unmanageable but I need to add my 2 cents worth.
1) I agree with Jerry, the cancer, radiation and chemo are not a good reason to remove teeth that otherwise would not need to be removed.
2) what instrument does he play?
3) I do assess ments pre treatment for the local oncologists in my area and try in all patients to say any serviceable teeth. If you read about the eating difficulties many of the OCF members are having teeth become the golden fleece.
4) Many time extracting teeth delay proposed chemo and radiation therapy due to the fact that they take longer to heal when the immune system is already challenged. The risk of infection and other problems increases drastically if extraction sockets are not completely healed prior to commencing chemo and radiation.
5) At 71 even if your father was not about to go throught the treatment he would find the task of learning to eat with prosthtic teeth a challenge and with the treatment even more difficult. One of the issues later on is nutrition and we need to be able to chew food to start the digestive process.

Just a few thoughts.
E-mail me any time.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your father.

Mike

Sorry but they don't want to deal with the teeth info. They come out tommorrow.
Dr. Mike,He plays violin and clarinet.
I hope this isn't a bad way to start on this online community but my parents aren't kids or senile so I can't do very much other than present info and support them. We go tommorrow and then he heals prior to treatment. PEG tube on the 5th of Sept. They intend to have further discussion about cisplatin with doc. (yes I read the discussion which is what lead me to ask more..Really feel like I can't get my fill of info since this shock of the last few weeks)
Thank you all very much. I'll move to the appropriate message board now.

Miriam...GOOD LUCK to you and your parents..Stay with us and keep us posted as to your father's progress...You'll be in our prayers!

Lois & Buzz in NC