An easier fix for radiation scatter/burn off dental work?

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BrianKrashpad
BrianKrashpad Member Posts: 188
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Hey kids, noob here. I'm about four weeks into chemo and radiation [for a tumor on a tonsil and a couple spots on some adjoining lymph nodes (all taken out, in addition to most of the rest of that side of my neck, haha)].

Anyhow, at the zap lab, I was getting radiation burn on my tongue due to scatter off my new dental work (which in turn had been ordered due to the upcoming radiation). The techs' rather low-tech (pardon the pun) "solution" was to have me bite down on a ball of wax, smash it down on the outside (cheek) edge and hope that on the inside (tongue) edge it would cover (since there's no good way to mash down the wax on the inside with teeth clenched).

This seemed like a pretty crappy solution. Since I already had custom-made dental trays for the flouride gel soaks I'll need after radiation, it seemed to me that simply using the lower tray would be a waaaaaaaaaaaaaay better ray-blocker than trusting to luck with chomping on a ball of wax. I talked to my radiation oncologist, and he approved me using my lower dental tray to block the radiation scatter! Why didn't anyone else think of this? Probably made too much sense, haha.

Anyhow, if you have new dental work, and already have had dental trays made, and would like to avoid/minimize burns from radiation scatter, talk to your zap doc about using the lower tray as a scatter ray-blocker!

Be well!
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Comments

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #2
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    Hi Brian

    Welcome to CSN and thanks for the tip,

    Hondo
  • MarineE5
    MarineE5 Member Posts: 1,030 Member
    #3
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    Hi Brian

    Yes, My Radiation Oncologist asked if I had flouride trays made. I did have them made and he told me to use them during the radiation treatments.

    My Best to You and Everyone Here
  • Pam M
    Pam M Member Posts: 2,196
    #4
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    You're Thinkin
    Hi, and welcome to the site, Brian. Dental tray sure beats a mouth full of mushy wax, huh? For those who don't have trays, someone I know used a mouthguard from a sporting goods store (dunno if it was boxing or football or what).
  • BrianKrashpad
    BrianKrashpad Member Posts: 188
    #5
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    MarineE5 said:

    Hi Brian

    Yes, My Radiation Oncologist asked if I had flouride trays made. I did have them made and he told me to use them during the radiation treatments.

    My Best to You and Everyone Here

    Yay!
    Yay, good to hear that I'm not a lone voice in the wilderness, and that some docs know about this easy fix!

    I'ma lean on my techs to put this in their informal intake protocol.
  • BrianKrashpad
    BrianKrashpad Member Posts: 188
    #6
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    Pam M said:

    You're Thinkin
    Hi, and welcome to the site, Brian. Dental tray sure beats a mouth full of mushy wax, huh? For those who don't have trays, someone I know used a mouthguard from a sporting goods store (dunno if it was boxing or football or what).

    thanks
    Yeah, I was thinking that a mouthguard, or the non-custom trays you can get for teeth-bleaching, should work too.

    Thanks everyone!
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #7
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    BrianKrashpad said:

    thanks
    Yeah, I was thinking that a mouthguard, or the non-custom trays you can get for teeth-bleaching, should work too.

    Thanks everyone!

    Not for nothin' but..................
    Could this be why my mouth was such a wreck?? I had silver or amalgam or whatever they are fillings in my mouth, and especially on that left side, which is still sore even today, 20 months out. If all I needed to do was wear my flouride trays to help protect my tongue, I am really going to be pissed off. Sorry, if that is a rude term, but I am really angry as my tongue still feels scalded... :/
  • rozaroo
    rozaroo Member Posts: 665
    #8
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    sweetblood22 said:

    Not for nothin' but..................
    Could this be why my mouth was such a wreck?? I had silver or amalgam or whatever they are fillings in my mouth, and especially on that left side, which is still sore even today, 20 months out. If all I needed to do was wear my flouride trays to help protect my tongue, I am really going to be pissed off. Sorry, if that is a rude term, but I am really angry as my tongue still feels scalded... :/

    Brian
    I would just like to thank you for the tip. I am sure it will help out alot of people.
    Thank you
    Roz
  • BrianKrashpad
    BrianKrashpad Member Posts: 188
    #9
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    rozaroo said:

    Brian
    I would just like to thank you for the tip. I am sure it will help out alot of people.
    Thank you
    Roz

    Of course!
    You're very welcome. I was very surprised that my techs and docs hadn't thought of this, and once my doc actually approved it, the first thing I thought of was that "I bet lots of OTHER docs/techs/patients don't know about this either!" (Frankly I'm surprised I thought it up independently, but that's another story, haha.) So, I hope you're right and that everyone in the head/neck cancer community becomes aware of it, that don't know already. Every little bit helps.

    I like what Franklin said-- "If we don't all hang together, we will surely all hang separately."

    Be well!
  • BrianKrashpad
    BrianKrashpad Member Posts: 188
    #10
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    sweetblood22 said:

    Not for nothin' but..................
    Could this be why my mouth was such a wreck?? I had silver or amalgam or whatever they are fillings in my mouth, and especially on that left side, which is still sore even today, 20 months out. If all I needed to do was wear my flouride trays to help protect my tongue, I am really going to be pissed off. Sorry, if that is a rude term, but I am really angry as my tongue still feels scalded... :/

    that'd be my guess, sb22
    It sure sounds like that's what happened. I don't know that anything will offer complete protection from radiation scatter that results in tongue burn, but I'm surprised that if you showed your zap docs and/or techs that you were getting tongue burn near your dental work, that they didn't try some form of protection, even if it were the goofy wax ball "fix" my techs were using.

    Unfortunately my doctorate is in law, not medicine.

    Hey, need a lawyer? ;)

    Be well!

    PS-- I tried the tray out for the first time earlier this afternoon at the zap lab. The techs were concerned about the zap mask still fitting over my face with the tray in, but it was no problem.
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #11
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    BrianKrashpad said:

    that'd be my guess, sb22
    It sure sounds like that's what happened. I don't know that anything will offer complete protection from radiation scatter that results in tongue burn, but I'm surprised that if you showed your zap docs and/or techs that you were getting tongue burn near your dental work, that they didn't try some form of protection, even if it were the goofy wax ball "fix" my techs were using.

    Unfortunately my doctorate is in law, not medicine.

    Hey, need a lawyer? ;)

    Be well!

    PS-- I tried the tray out for the first time earlier this afternoon at the zap lab. The techs were concerned about the zap mask still fitting over my face with the tray in, but it was no problem.

    My mouth was a wreck. The
    My mouth was a wreck. The docs said it was about the worst they had ever seen. :(
  • BrianKrashpad
    BrianKrashpad Member Posts: 188
    #12
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    sweetblood22 said:

    My mouth was a wreck. The
    My mouth was a wreck. The docs said it was about the worst they had ever seen. :(

    Ouch
    Man that's a shame. So they never did try any sort of physical blockage over your teeth to combat radiation scatter? That's not good at all. I sure hope you feel better and continue to improve. I've been pretty lucky so far (knocks on own head for luck), the one burn on my tongue and some sore throat and inside of cheek.

    Be well!
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #13
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    BrianKrashpad said:

    Ouch
    Man that's a shame. So they never did try any sort of physical blockage over your teeth to combat radiation scatter? That's not good at all. I sure hope you feel better and continue to improve. I've been pretty lucky so far (knocks on own head for luck), the one burn on my tongue and some sore throat and inside of cheek.

    Be well!

    nope. ive never heard of
    nope. ive never heard of this. they never mentioned anything about it.
  • kingcole42005
    kingcole42005 Member Posts: 178
    #14
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    They made me a special dental tray to fit in my mask
    They made me a special dental tray to fit in my mask. They didn't offer that to you? It affix's right to the mask, you wear it during your rads. Take Care, Shelly
  • adventurebob
    adventurebob Member Posts: 691
    #15
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    Welcome
    Hi Brian,

    Welcome to the board. Good place to be, hard path to get here. Nice fix with the tray. You're almost there it sounds like. I just finished up last week. Let us know how it goes. Keep being well.,

    Bob
  • JUDYV5
    JUDYV5 Member Posts: 392
    #16
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    Mouth Gaurds
    I had mouth gaurds made by the radiation team. They didn't like the way the lower one fit and made it a second time while I was undergowing treatments.
  • D Lewis
    D Lewis Member Posts: 1,581 Member
    #17
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    Bummer
    I had the dental trays made... my dentist told me to use them during the radiation treatments to prevent burns from radiation scatter off my (many) crowns... and my radiation oncologist (fondly re-named "the mollusk" for her ice-water demeanor) told me NO, I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO USE THEM as they wouldn't help, and might interfere with the fit of the mask. So, no trays. Both sides of my tongue were pretty severely burned during treatment, and I have some significant scarring there, seven months out.

    So happy to hear that it worked so well for you. Perhaps I should have put up a bigger fight, or used them anyway...

    Deb
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #18
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    D Lewis said:

    Bummer
    I had the dental trays made... my dentist told me to use them during the radiation treatments to prevent burns from radiation scatter off my (many) crowns... and my radiation oncologist (fondly re-named "the mollusk" for her ice-water demeanor) told me NO, I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO USE THEM as they wouldn't help, and might interfere with the fit of the mask. So, no trays. Both sides of my tongue were pretty severely burned during treatment, and I have some significant scarring there, seven months out.

    So happy to hear that it worked so well for you. Perhaps I should have put up a bigger fight, or used them anyway...

    Deb

    I almost asked my dentist
    I almost asked my dentist about this today but I didn't. Honestly if he told me that my tongue might not be like this if I wore my trays I would have come unglued. Like I'm not kidding and could seriously be moved to violence.

    I have tongue scars, daily pain and a speech impediment now. I'm 20 months out. Yeah I am not a violent woman but that could make me snap. :(
  • Bkanter72
    Bkanter72 Member Posts: 39
    #19
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    Better late than never...I hope
    This really irritates me! I mean I am so thankful for finding this site and everyone's information. I have been complaining of a sore tongue for days and noone mention radiation scatter. Anyway, I really appreciate the fantastic idea. I will certainly be adamit with my onco for the upcoming treatments.

    Brian, so did the trays work to protect you tongue and help it heal during the treatment? I am two weeks in and my tongue is by far teh worst pain I have.

    Brian
  • CajunEagle
    CajunEagle Member Posts: 408
    #20
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    sweetblood22 said:

    I almost asked my dentist
    I almost asked my dentist about this today but I didn't. Honestly if he told me that my tongue might not be like this if I wore my trays I would have come unglued. Like I'm not kidding and could seriously be moved to violence.

    I have tongue scars, daily pain and a speech impediment now. I'm 20 months out. Yeah I am not a violent woman but that could make me snap. :(

    Dang ! I can't believe it.....
    well, yes I can. Radiation scatter ????? No wonder my tongue was so swollen, which led to me accidentally biting the sides of it when trying to sleep. And, good gosh, that hurt. I somewhat recall the mention of mouth guards to be used during radiation, and then I specifically remember asking the techs why I wasn't using them. I was told that they really weren't needed in my case. Later on, I was informed that the swollen tongue was a normal by-product of any radiation techniques on oral problems. Hummm...makes me wonder.

    Larry
  • timreichhart
    timreichhart Member Posts: 194
    #21
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    Bkanter72 said:

    Better late than never...I hope
    This really irritates me! I mean I am so thankful for finding this site and everyone's information. I have been complaining of a sore tongue for days and noone mention radiation scatter. Anyway, I really appreciate the fantastic idea. I will certainly be adamit with my onco for the upcoming treatments.

    Brian, so did the trays work to protect you tongue and help it heal during the treatment? I am two weeks in and my tongue is by far teh worst pain I have.

    Brian

    about mouth guard
    When I was fitted for my radiation mask they also fitted me for a mouth guard and that mouth guard was mounted to my mask and everyday I had radiation I had to bite down on that mouth guard.

    here is a picture of my mask: http://tinypic.com/r/11vmwc9/7

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