I used my trays every night through treatment and for almost a year. My saliva returned to about 75-80% of what it was so I started to use them less. My teeth are fine, but when the oral surgeon heard I was down to using them about once a week and brushing with flouride a few times a week, he really encouraged me to use the trays 3-4 times a week as a preventative measure. I'm taking his advice and started to use the trays daily.

I get my teeth cleaned every 4 months. I find that my teeth and tongue stain quite a bit (yay for drinking red wine and coffee). It's probably due to the decrease in saliva and also in the type of saliva. I use a tongue scraper daily and sometimes use some biotene gel with it.

As far as brushing my teeth...while I was home during treatment, I brushed my teeth probably 8 times a day. One thing I found extremely helpful is going to someone who speacilized in oral cancers. The oral surgeon I see is "out of network," and expensive, but he has given me great advice. He also tends to do more of a physical exam than the oncolgist or ENT. He checks for fibrosis in my neck and pokes around my mouth a lot.

Simple,

Please keep in mind that the damage to the blood vessels supplying our teeth don't usually cause problems until sometimes 3 to 4 years out of Tx so it's important to be diligent in practicing excellent dental hygiene, including daily fluoride treatments in my opinion, for the rest of our lives.

Ray1971,
Hi...Okay lets try and answer some questions. I noticed that you have a couple of unanswered tidbits so I'll try and steer you in the right direction.
Sleeping with the tray in or out depends on the concentration of the fluoride product. Is the fluoride: 0.25 neutral sodium flouride gel or is it a O.05 neutral sodium fluoride gel?
In my opinion if you in fact are using the fluoride gel nightly the toothpaste would be redundant.
Can I use regular mouth products in addition to the scripts?
What products would you be referring to?
Should I do my regular mouth maintenance in addition to these fluoride treatments?
Yes, you should brush your teeth at least 2 times a day for a duration of 3 minutes and floss all of your teeth at least once daily.
Should I brush more often?
If you feel you need to but it is not necessary.
Do I have to see the Dentist more then every 6 months?
Possibly. If you find you are experiencing dry mouth, sensitivity, pain or bad breath after treatment it might be advisable to have your teeth evaluated/scaled/and polished 4 times a year. If all is in a good state of repair in your mouth, the frequency of recare should be discussed and customized for you with your dental professionals.
What happens if I loose a couple of teeth 25 years down the road? What happens if I get gum disease? Am I being too paranoid?
Future tooth loss 25 years from now if everything else remains the same should be predictable and a replacement plan can be made. Gum disease can also be found early and treated prior to it becoming a detriment. Paranoid..yes..if you asked and someone did not answer these questions no. Quite simply...you are looking out for yourself.
No one can predict the future but, between your dentist and periodontist they should be able to put you and keep you on the path of oral health success regardless of the treatment you recieve.
If you have questions call their offices and ask them or e-mail me.
I hope this was of some use to you.
Cheers,
Mike