Three years out from treatment for BOT cancer. Everything remains clear. I now need to have a tooth extracted. Radiology oncologist (sp?)said I do not need hyperbaric. Most everything I have read online indicates the need. Any thoughts or comments?
Thanks

Buster, I am one who firmly believes in HBO and how effective it is in helping to avoid ORN. Ive done many dives so I speak first hand about how well it worked for me.

Here is a similar recent thread on roughly the same subject. Check out my reply dated 2/10/14 and review the links on HBO and ORN. Then you can make a better informed decision. Many dentists are unfamiliar with the special care an OC patient requires. You may want to seek out another professional to do your extractions.

Best wishes!


Other HBO thread... read my post from 2/10/14 and the links

Why take a chance? I would rather play on the side of caution and have the HBO than end up having to have a mandiblectomy sometime in the future.

best of luck.

Buster,
I am four years out of treatment and have a tooth that is causing pain. My RO told me to leave it alone unless it becomes unbearable. He said he never recommends extraction unless the tooth is black. He said have a tooth extraction would cause more harm and I would indeed have to have HBO before and after any extraction to prevent ORN.

I needed a tooth extraction in 2011, and all my doctors, oncologist, ENT, Oncology dentist said I needed HBOT, with the 20/10 Marx protocol. I need more extractions, actully all my teeth, are black, down to the gum line, and causing too many infections, abcesses, with different doctors now, say I need to do HBOT again, but have to wait until I'm clear of cancer, otherwise it can feed it. It depends where you received radiation, and if in the oral mouth, especially the mandible, and above 60Gy, I believe vs. someone who was only radiated in the larynx, neck for example. It's more injury, like extractions is true, that can result in ORN rather than from infections, and ifroot canal can be done it's prefable.

Good luck.

Thanks for the response. Spoke with my Doc today and have an appointment next week. Seems to be some confussion between the dentist and doctor. It appears that I will be doing the 20/10 schedule. Thanks again.

I had to have two wisdom teeth removed two years afar treatment ended, and I was told I had to have HBO. It was a painless pain in the you know where. I got to watch a lot of good movies, but it meant driving to long treatments every day. However, the risk of complications was great. I would do it again if I had to. -Michelle

Paula, what is 60 Gy, I had radiation to the mouth and now have to have some teeth pulled

Me? Gray (Gy) is the radiation dosage amount. Actually, I read another abstract that says it's above 45Gy. Your radiation oncologist knows where and how much you were radiated, but if its SCC, squamous cell carcinoma, the minimum is usually over 50Gy to kill SCC, and it also depends on how far out you are from your radiation. You many have to get clearance from the radiation oncologist. Hope this answers your question.

Good luck.

Thank you, it has been almost 5 years out of radiation and I am so confused because everywhere I read it states don't pull them. Plus I am allergic to most antibiotics, so I am a nervous mess. I read that you have had extractions, was it after radiation and bottom teeth? Michele

I had several extractions before radiation in 2011, but not after. I was supposed to have one extracted, and did 30 HBOT in 2011 for an impacted, abscessed tooth, but was hospitalized for a transfusion, and a recurrence one after the other, so I never did have it extracted. I currently need all my teeth extracted, and was waiting for cancer clearance, which I received today, and my RO said for sure I need to have HBOT, but I had much more radiation than most did, and recently finished one treatment in January.

If they can do root canal instead, it may better, I was told by a dentist. I didn't need HBOT for any root canal after radiation.

Yes, look at whether root canals may be an option.
Kris has 1 tooth left to go, then all his teeth will have been root Canalled . We chose this over extraction and particularly HBO. Neither of us were keen to do HBO at this stage. Really feel that we want Kris to be some years down the track before risking growth of any stray Ca cells left - if any.
Fortunately our public health system has done all this work for Kris.
Tammy