Hi,

I am wondering how many of you do floride treatments every day or if told to do so by your dentist.

My husband is 4yrs. out from his oral cancer. He has been seeing a dentist only twice a year and this dentist never encourages him to do floride treatments. So I found another dentist who seems to be more involved with oral cancer patients. We just had an appt. with her this week and she is now telling my husband he needs to do flouride treatments every day and also gave him a special toothpaste. The trouble with the treatments was that Ken's tongue would burn a lot. She gave him something to use after the floride treatments which seems to help.

The first dentist was going to give him a new bridge. After seeing this new dentist, she said that he has gum disease and saw some pus and that no way would she give him a bridge until this was cleared up. So I am glad we went for a second opinion with another dentist.

Also, she is telling us about a new appliance that you wear at night and water seeps into your mouth at a very slow pace as most oral cancer patients really have problems at night. We will be seeing her again for another consultation and I will find out more about this appliance and share it with you.

Ken's wife

I would be very interested to hear about this appliance that she mentioned.

All my dentists that I've seen since treatment have asked about flouride. It burns my mouth too much four years out of treatment. However, they are happy with me at least using the biotene toothpaste that has flouride in it. I also recently found a toothpast by Tom's (that natural stuff) that is for dry mouth and has flouride in it. Biotene toothpaste will still burn on occassion adn I"ve actually found that Tom's toothpaste will NOT burn, even when Biotene will. You know those lemon cookies that the girlscouts come out with? That's what it tastes like. It's like dessert when I brush after a meal LOL

A couple weeks ago I also stumbled across a product called Quantum Helath OraMoist Time-Releasted Dry Mouth Disc. I've been putting that in my mouth at night and it's been helping me.

Good luck.

Thanks Sabrina but where do you get Tom's toothpaste? The toothpaste that this new dentist is giving is a prescription toothpaste which means it is not cheap. Also, where do you get the Quantum Health Time-Released Disc? Never heard of it.

I will definitely share more information about this new appliance when I learn more about it but I'm sure it too will be costly.

Ken's wife

Just remember that the Tom's does not have any of the enzymes in it that Biotene has. These are naturally occurring in your saliva (which is now missing or diminished) and the main reason to use the Biotene product since they are part of your body's protection mechanism. Sometimes using a fluoride toothpaste or tray is important even if it is occasionally uncomfortable. When you start to develop decay issues, it is a never ending process of chasing it and expensive dentistry to correct things. None of the non prescription toothpastes have the level of fluoride that we need.

Tom's toothpaste I ordered from amazon.com b/c I couldn't find it in stores. If you go there and type in "Toms toothpaste dry mouth", various products come up. I bought the lemon one, which you'd think would hurt, but it doesn't.

I also use the dry mouth version of their mouthwash which I've found burns less than biotene, but that's just me. I know we're all different. That I have been able to find in grocery stores (A&P for one).

The Quantum Health Time Realeased Disc was at Osco Drug, I believe. We were randomly running errands and my hubby needed a bandaid. I just caught my eye down the bandaid isle of all things.

The website on the box is www.quantumhealth.com. I just looked now and it appears you can buy it online (look for OraMoist under products) and there's a store locator button as well.

Sabrina

Good point Brian! I do use Biotene when I can, and Tom's when I'm having a painful day.

FYI on the OraMoist, the box says it has "Active Enzymes" in it.

Ken's wife,
I'm sorry to hear about your husbands situation.
I have always advocated second and even third opinions due to the fact that every professional has not had the same level of experience and training.
I am pleased that his new dentist put off treatment with a new bridge due to the fact that
she determined that periodontal disease was present, "...she said that he has gum disease and saw some pus and that no way would she give him a bridge until this was cleared up."
I am, however, unclear from your post as to the method of treatment that she proposes to use to eliminate and/or control the gum disease. There is no fluoride product on the market that I am aware of that will contol/treat/eliminate periodontal disease. I am also not aware of any appliance that a person can wear nighttime and/or daytime that will treat gum disease.
I am a big advocate of fluoride for cancer treatment patients who experience tooth deterioration and/or dry mouth and as well believe in tooth preservation.
Pus...pus means infection/abcess is present in the gums or mouth or around the teeth it must be treated by eliminating the source of the infection. There is no oral rinse or fluoride application that can cure this problem.
I would suggest that you ask that your husband be referred to a periodontist to make sure that his teeth and supporting structures are all free from disease and in a sound state of health and as well to find and treat the source of the "pus" before anything else is done.
Cheers,
Mike

Thanks Dr. Mike. I will let you know what she has to say on our next visit as far as what she proposes to do about this situation. He did have an abscess that was supposedly taken care of by dentist #1.

Meanwhile, he is doing the flouride treatments every evening now.

Ken's wife

Please remember that for no additional cost to you, if you go to Amazon for anything, this product or books or whatever, if you enter Amazon thought the box at the top of the OCF forum page, or on the main entry page to the home web site, OCF gets about 4% of your purchase as a donation from Amazon. While I usually make this point every Xmas here, it is worth mentioning again. It is a simple way for you all to help OCF without paying anything extra yourselves. Just remember the box at the top of the forums page when you want to go to Amazon instead of going directly to them by typing in their name. It's easy, free to you, and every little bit helps.

Ken's wife,

I was told by Moffitt to see either their Dental Oncologist or my own dentist before I started Tx. I opted for my own. He thoroughly checked my teeth and replaced one old filling and fitted me with fluoride trays. I started using them nightly for 30 minutes 30 days pre Tx and except for a few nauseating days during Tx I am still using them. My dentist tells me to just consider it a part of my daily dental routine forever.