| Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 64 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | Supporting Member (50+ posts) Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 64 | My husband was lucky that he didn't loose his teeth. They said they were in good shape but he really had to take care of them. He is using the biotine toothpaste right now and a toothbrush that feels like a paint brush. It is gettin harder for him to swallow now going to ask about that tomorrow at our appt. what they can do to help him
Crgvr to Husband 55-yrs, surgery to remove cyst-diagnosed as SCC, 4/3/09 CT & Pet Scan showed more cancer in left lymph node and primary at the base of the tongue.TX Radiation 7 weeks 5 days a week last day is 6/25/09 Chemo completed 6/19/09 Peg Tube 5/22/09
| | | | Joined: May 2002 Posts: 2,152 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: May 2002 Posts: 2,152 | Pat_451 I don't know what you mean by 'a toothbrush that feels like a paint brush' but he should be using a very soft tooth brush.
Also please update your signature with your husband's dx and treatment plan. It makes it so much easier to answer your questions.
Take care, Eileen
---------------------- Aug 1997 unknown primary, Stage III mets to 1 lymph node in neck; rt ND, 36 XRT rad Aug 2001 tiny tumor on larynx, Stage I total laryngectomy; left ND June 5, 2010 dx early stage breast cancer June 9, 2011 SCC 1.5 cm hypo pharynx, 70% P-16 positive, no mets, Stage I
| | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 64 Supporting Member (50+ posts) | Supporting Member (50+ posts) Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 64 | It is a very soft toothbrush like the brisles on a paint brush
Crgvr to Husband 55-yrs, surgery to remove cyst-diagnosed as SCC, 4/3/09 CT & Pet Scan showed more cancer in left lymph node and primary at the base of the tongue.TX Radiation 7 weeks 5 days a week last day is 6/25/09 Chemo completed 6/19/09 Peg Tube 5/22/09
| | | | Joined: May 2009 Posts: 4 Member | Member Joined: May 2009 Posts: 4 | I've noticed alot of people talking about teeth being removed. Please fill me in on this. What is the situation that will cause this to happen? | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | Radiation, especially the method that they use to use say 5 years ago, can destroy some of the blood flow to our teeth. Also the damage to our saliva glands leaves us with a dry mouth condition that doesn't bathe the oral cavity like normal.
Also the typical Oral Cancer patient of the past usually presented with bad oral hygiene practices and less than perfect teeth so it was common practice to just yank all the teeth because leaving bad, even sometimes good teeth in a mouth after radiation led to dead or dying teeth years later and then trying to remove them with weakened blood vessels made matters worse.
Then along came IMRT, a radiation that lessened the damage to the oral cavity so the old practice turned into one of lets fix the bad teeth and use fluoride trays and try to save all the teeth they could. Even so we still see some people that come here with the recommendation that all the teeth go and we try to get them to get another opinion just to make sure it's a necessity.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 | . Bad oral hygiene your butt, I saw my dentist no less than 3 times a year . My teeth were perfect before OC hit. Even my dentist or my exwife could believe I lost them to this stuff. I had mine out because beside the rads and chemo I was also getting rad seed implants. That is one of the reasons to lose them. Last decent food in this mouth was before Jan 17 of 2008 and none since. The imlants do a job on your tongue, It burns all of the time and hurts , and even the soft food and any type of juice , including coffee makes it worse. I hope you keep yours
Since posting this. UPMC, Pittsburgh, Oct 2011 until Jan. I averaged about 2 to 3 surgeries a week there. w Can't have jaw made as bone is deteroriating steaily that is left in jaw. Mersa is to blame. Feeding tube . Had trach for 4mos. Got it out April. --- Passed away 5/14/14, will be greatly missed by everyone here
| | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | Jim,
Never said you were the TYPICAL OC patient of olde.....FAR FROM IT. lol
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 5,260 | I agree David and will say that big word that people hate to use. LOL I am sorry for not reading it right.
Since posting this. UPMC, Pittsburgh, Oct 2011 until Jan. I averaged about 2 to 3 surgeries a week there. w Can't have jaw made as bone is deteroriating steaily that is left in jaw. Mersa is to blame. Feeding tube . Had trach for 4mos. Got it out April. --- Passed away 5/14/14, will be greatly missed by everyone here
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