my dental issues PLEASE HELP

debbiejeanne
debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
edited May 2013 in Head and Neck Cancer #1

dx:  8/09  laryngel cancer

tx:  35 radiation tmnts

recurrence:  2/12

tx:  total laryngectomy  2/28/12

i've been reading "more dental stuff" and getting more scared the more i read.  my teeth have all moved and i bite my tounge EVERYTIME i eat.  plus i have a sore on my gum and my mouth is pretty sore.  due to these problems i went to the dentist yesterday expecting him to say i needed braces but instead he said i needed to have my bottom teeth pulled by an oral surgeon.  they also mentioned the sore on the gum may be oral cancer.  i see the surgeon this thursday and i'm wondering what questions i should ask. 

one i know of is should i have hbo trmnts before the surgery. 

also wondering if anyone had a sore on their gum that turned out to b cancer. 

has anyone been told to get teeth pulled but didn't?  if so, have there been any more problems with the teeth? 

do u know how to find a dentist that deals with h&n c? 

will medicare pay for the extractions? 

how can teeth go so bad in a 6 month time frame?

i would appreciate any info u can provide.  thank u n advance.

dj

Comments

  • rachel12yrsuv
    rachel12yrsuv Member Posts: 435
    #2
    It will be okay. Most

    It will be okay. Most oralcancers are early and can be removed and watched i think its called lukaplackea ir something lime that my mom had it and debtist found it. Removing teethalways sounds scary but if you have insurance and means for dentures or implants then YEAH NO MORE PAIN!

     

    Good luck, let me know, praying

    Rachel

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #3
    rachel12yrsuv said:

    It will be okay. Most

    It will be okay. Most oralcancers are early and can be removed and watched i think its called lukaplackea ir something lime that my mom had it and debtist found it. Removing teethalways sounds scary but if you have insurance and means for dentures or implants then YEAH NO MORE PAIN!

     

    Good luck, let me know, praying

    Rachel

    thank u rachel, all prayers

    thank u rachel, all prayers welcome.

    God bless,

    dj

  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #4
    debbiejeanne said:

    thank u rachel, all prayers

    thank u rachel, all prayers welcome.

    God bless,

    dj

    DJ

    Since you have been radiated, it is likely they would suggest HBOT before extractions. I recently did 30 "dives' in the hyperbaric chamber. Time consuming, otherwsie, not much to it. Try to pick a time of day where there are 2 hours of tv shows that you like. I was fortunate to have 2 choices of hyperbaric centers within a couple of miles of my house. I would have hated to add too much drive time to that 2 hours each day. No make-up, hair products, nail polish allowed. You have to wear their cotton scrubs. You can add another half hour a day getting dressed, blood pressure check, ekg hook up, grounding hook-up, and then redressing after tx. What to expect...dull, boring, uneventful...that's what you want. I am seeing an Oral Maxillofacial specialist for my implants/dental work. Hope all goes well for you.

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #5
    hwt said:

    DJ

    Since you have been radiated, it is likely they would suggest HBOT before extractions. I recently did 30 "dives' in the hyperbaric chamber. Time consuming, otherwsie, not much to it. Try to pick a time of day where there are 2 hours of tv shows that you like. I was fortunate to have 2 choices of hyperbaric centers within a couple of miles of my house. I would have hated to add too much drive time to that 2 hours each day. No make-up, hair products, nail polish allowed. You have to wear their cotton scrubs. You can add another half hour a day getting dressed, blood pressure check, ekg hook up, grounding hook-up, and then redressing after tx. What to expect...dull, boring, uneventful...that's what you want. I am seeing an Oral Maxillofacial specialist for my implants/dental work. Hope all goes well for you.

    hwt, thank u 4 the great

    hwt, thank u 4 the great info.

    dj

  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #6
    You might have to

    to do battle with Medicare on the extractions.....if they can squeak out from under they will.  Supposedly IF the extractions are due to another illness or injury, then they are covered....and yours is probably due to radiation.  Getting them to see it that way is the tough part. 

    The spot on your gum may be as Rachael said....don't sweat that till you get to it....

    p

  • Billie67
    Billie67 Member Posts: 898
    #7
    phrannie51 said:

    You might have to

    to do battle with Medicare on the extractions.....if they can squeak out from under they will.  Supposedly IF the extractions are due to another illness or injury, then they are covered....and yours is probably due to radiation.  Getting them to see it that way is the tough part. 

    The spot on your gum may be as Rachael said....don't sweat that till you get to it....

    p

    DJ
    Ok first of all, smack that dentist for me would ya? What a crazy thing to say to you about the sore possibly being cancer. After having worked in the dental field for many years, it is my guess that you may have traumatized your mouth somehow and due to rads exposure it's healing very slowly. Leukoplakia is not cancer in itself. Leukoplakia would appear as a whitish patch of tissue and usually isn't sore but can be tender at times. It's literally like a callous or scar tissue in your mouth. Much like the callous we get on our finger from holding a pen or pencil or imagine if we constantly rubbed our finger and thumb together....it would eventually start to callous. Sometimes leukoplakia will try and mask or cover a small cancer but I honestly think you will hear that you are fine.
    I couldn't comment on what would happen if you don't have your lowers extracted as I've not seen the xrays so I don't know if they are severely decayed or if you have extensive bone loss or what the reason is for that recommendation. The oral surgeon will be your best for determining that.
    As mentioned earlier, make sure the dentist and oral surgeons are very familiar with H&N patients. The best thing honestly is to ask your rad onc for a referral.
    Finally, YES you should do HBO before having any procedures that are invasive. A good surgeon will insist upon it.
    Stress to the doctors the importance of listing any procedures as necessary due to effects of radiation treatment. It probably won't be an easy fight but worth it if they get it covered as medically necessary.
    Good luck and please keep us posted.
    Billie
  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #8
    Billie67 said:

    DJ
    Ok first of all, smack that dentist for me would ya? What a crazy thing to say to you about the sore possibly being cancer. After having worked in the dental field for many years, it is my guess that you may have traumatized your mouth somehow and due to rads exposure it's healing very slowly. Leukoplakia is not cancer in itself. Leukoplakia would appear as a whitish patch of tissue and usually isn't sore but can be tender at times. It's literally like a callous or scar tissue in your mouth. Much like the callous we get on our finger from holding a pen or pencil or imagine if we constantly rubbed our finger and thumb together....it would eventually start to callous. Sometimes leukoplakia will try and mask or cover a small cancer but I honestly think you will hear that you are fine.
    I couldn't comment on what would happen if you don't have your lowers extracted as I've not seen the xrays so I don't know if they are severely decayed or if you have extensive bone loss or what the reason is for that recommendation. The oral surgeon will be your best for determining that.
    As mentioned earlier, make sure the dentist and oral surgeons are very familiar with H&N patients. The best thing honestly is to ask your rad onc for a referral.
    Finally, YES you should do HBO before having any procedures that are invasive. A good surgeon will insist upon it.
    Stress to the doctors the importance of listing any procedures as necessary due to effects of radiation treatment. It probably won't be an easy fight but worth it if they get it covered as medically necessary.
    Good luck and please keep us posted.
    Billie

    billie, if i understood

    billie, if i understood correctly there is bone loss and the teeth r loose.  i know they have shifted.  do u know if medicare pays 4 the hbo trmnts?  if not, do u know what can happen if i don't get them?  thanks, billie.

    dj

  • hwt
    hwt Member Posts: 2,328 Member
    #9
    debbiejeanne said:

    billie, if i understood

    billie, if i understood correctly there is bone loss and the teeth r loose.  i know they have shifted.  do u know if medicare pays 4 the hbo trmnts?  if not, do u know what can happen if i don't get them?  thanks, billie.

    dj

    dj

    I don't know about Medicare but my health insurance paid for the 1st 20 sessions and they said they are waiting on more information to pay the last 10 sessions. I think 20 sessions before dental surgery is the normal protocal. From what I understand, you wouldn't want to run the risk of not getting the chamber treatments. 

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #10
    hwt said:

    dj

    I don't know about Medicare but my health insurance paid for the 1st 20 sessions and they said they are waiting on more information to pay the last 10 sessions. I think 20 sessions before dental surgery is the normal protocal. From what I understand, you wouldn't want to run the risk of not getting the chamber treatments. 

    thank u hwt.
    dj

    thank u hwt.

    dj

  • dennis318
    dennis318 Member Posts: 349 Member
    #11
    debbiejeanne said:

    thank u hwt.
    dj

    thank u hwt.

    dj

    Hey Debbie

    Before doing the Hyper beric, please check for preapproval. BC and BS tried to force me to pay this, and told me that my insurance didn't cover it after they did 35 treatments, turned me over to collection for 86,000 smackers, it a in't cheap...they finally came forth and paid it and found out it was preapproved, but having cancer and dealing with collection agencies sucks, cancer is very expensive, even with insurance. I have Medicare part b, hospita but I'm sure that won;t cover my dental problems, my teeth are all having large cavaites at teh top, sad aftger i hate 5000 put in dental for adult braces and caps....any idea to get them to pay for it. or is there a dental group I can buy thats resaonable...thanks for the info, i had the sores as well, they gave me an expensive tubes of liquidm mixed both of them and swished, but this was alo expensive. check it out..Dennis

  • fisrpotpe
    fisrpotpe Member Posts: 1,349 Member
    #12
    look

    i would look to your ent and ask him to check your sore with biopsy first. the teeth can come later. while i was with ent i would ask him who they recomend for a dentist that deals with history or head and neck cancer and mostly treatments and care. also ask them who he would recomend for oral surgeon if it was his father having problems. 

    my dentist is actually from my cancer team of doc's. he is from Indiana School of Dentistry in Indianapolis. he is connected with my oral surgeon in Indy. they are amazing. i also believe being in eduation they find time to keep up with the latest. most of the dentists and sergeons are so busy they might not have the time. so i sugest you find a school that has dentistry. 

    i had to have several of mine pulled but not all at once. i did not do hbo, all i did was antibiotic for several weeks and he keep a keen on eye it for 6 months. i did every two weeks for a month, then once a month for two months and then went three months. finally he said call me if you feel problems. 

    i am not a huge fan of hbo, my sergeon is 50/50 on it and said there is just not enough history to say it is a must. he saids he has alot of success with out the hbo so he has history there that he leans on. 

    radiation...  THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING. 

    by the way i wanted to have them all removed after years of fighting it. both surgeon and dentist said they would just deal with them one at a time, when each tooth is ready and has to come out. 

    john 

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #13
    fisrpotpe said:

    look

    i would look to your ent and ask him to check your sore with biopsy first. the teeth can come later. while i was with ent i would ask him who they recomend for a dentist that deals with history or head and neck cancer and mostly treatments and care. also ask them who he would recomend for oral surgeon if it was his father having problems. 

    my dentist is actually from my cancer team of doc's. he is from Indiana School of Dentistry in Indianapolis. he is connected with my oral surgeon in Indy. they are amazing. i also believe being in eduation they find time to keep up with the latest. most of the dentists and sergeons are so busy they might not have the time. so i sugest you find a school that has dentistry. 

    i had to have several of mine pulled but not all at once. i did not do hbo, all i did was antibiotic for several weeks and he keep a keen on eye it for 6 months. i did every two weeks for a month, then once a month for two months and then went three months. finally he said call me if you feel problems. 

    i am not a huge fan of hbo, my sergeon is 50/50 on it and said there is just not enough history to say it is a must. he saids he has alot of success with out the hbo so he has history there that he leans on. 

    radiation...  THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING. 

    by the way i wanted to have them all removed after years of fighting it. both surgeon and dentist said they would just deal with them one at a time, when each tooth is ready and has to come out. 

    john 

    john, thank u 4 the great

    john, thank u 4 the great info.  i'm really glad to know that about the hbo b/c i won't b able to afford it.  thanks again.

    dj

  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #14
    dennis318 said:

    Hey Debbie

    Before doing the Hyper beric, please check for preapproval. BC and BS tried to force me to pay this, and told me that my insurance didn't cover it after they did 35 treatments, turned me over to collection for 86,000 smackers, it a in't cheap...they finally came forth and paid it and found out it was preapproved, but having cancer and dealing with collection agencies sucks, cancer is very expensive, even with insurance. I have Medicare part b, hospita but I'm sure that won;t cover my dental problems, my teeth are all having large cavaites at teh top, sad aftger i hate 5000 put in dental for adult braces and caps....any idea to get them to pay for it. or is there a dental group I can buy thats resaonable...thanks for the info, i had the sores as well, they gave me an expensive tubes of liquidm mixed both of them and swished, but this was alo expensive. check it out..Dennis

    dennie, thank u so much.  i'm

    dennis, thank u so much.  i'm glad they finally paid for it.  i don't know of and dental services that help pay but i'll b looking also.  i don't know how i'll pay for all this.  i hope to know more after talking with the surgeon tomorrow.

    dj

  • PatDarago
    PatDarago Member Posts: 14
    #15
    Please make sure you consult

    Please make sure you consult your rad doctor as this could result in ORN . I currently am going thru dental bone jaw bone problems due to injuring my jaw whena having my tooth pulled. Go slow !!! Hope everything works out!

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