Tooth Extraction-Needed rather Suddenly

wbcgaruss
wbcgaruss Member Posts: 2,466 Member
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Some of my tooth trouble along the way is due to aging and not necessarily from my treatments. I can't really say how much is caused by each. But actually, for the most part, my teeth are holding up pretty well with the increased maintenance I am doing. I can't complain.

 

On Saturday my one molar on the left side second from back started bothering me and giving a bit of pain. By Saturday night my jaw on that side had swelled up quite a bit. Got through the weekend and saw my dentist Monday morning.

After inspection and xrays he wanted to send me to the oral surgeon and have the tooth pulled.

He knows my cancer treatment situation. We agreed it would be a good idea to check with my radiation doctor.

I called my radiation folks and they would like me to have HBOT before and after if possible.

It won’t work in this situation the tooth is too bad and face and jaw swelled from an infected tooth, it has to come out.

So I had the tooth out today and the oral surgeon said when he pulled it that there is good blood flow which is a great sign and that I may not need HBOT as a follow-up. He wants to see me in two weeks for a follow up to make sure everything's OK.

But I have an appointment scheduled Tuesday with an HBOT doctor and the oral surgeon says he knows him well.

So I will discuss with HBOT doc and they will then confer and we can decide if it is best I get it.

 

The big point here is I knew about getting pre-HBOT before tooth work in radiated or near the radiated area from this forum and other sources but in this situation, it couldn’t be done.

Comments

  • ERomanO
    ERomanO Member Posts: 323 Member
    #2
    I don't recall hyperbaric

    I don't recall hyperbaric treatments ever being mentioned to me by any of my docs or my dentist, and I really don't know anything about it.  I think I'll bring it up at my next follow-up.

    So what will go in place of the extracted tooth?

  • wbcgaruss
    wbcgaruss Member Posts: 2,466 Member
    edited March 2019 #3
    ERomanO if you

    have radiation near or sometimes very close to jawbone it damages small blood vessels in the bone diminishing blood flow. This can cause slow or poor healing depending if your bones have been affected enough or not. I have had a couple of teeth pulled on the top and the docs did not seem concerned because rads were not close enough to affect it. If you need dental work especially extractions check with your rad doc first as to where your radiation field was and get his opinion whether you need HBOT or not.

    This is very important for all head & neck patients to understand and be aware of.

    Here is a link that explains it--

    https://oralcancerfoundation.org/complications/osteoradionecrosis/

     

  • skidog
    skidog Member Posts: 74 Member
    #4
    wbcgaruss said:

    ERomanO if you

    have radiation near or sometimes very close to jawbone it damages small blood vessels in the bone diminishing blood flow. This can cause slow or poor healing depending if your bones have been affected enough or not. I have had a couple of teeth pulled on the top and the docs did not seem concerned because rads were not close enough to affect it. If you need dental work especially extractions check with your rad doc first as to where your radiation field was and get his opinion whether you need HBOT or not.

    This is very important for all head & neck patients to understand and be aware of.

    Here is a link that explains it--

    https://oralcancerfoundation.org/complications/osteoradionecrosis/

     

    wbcgaruss

    It souends like your dentist gave you very good info regarding the blood flow post extraction. the infection should heal and pain go away soon.  AND the fact that he knows your rad doc well...man...all good news from my angle! Positive vibes going your way from Skidog and family!

  • bugsyboy
    bugsyboy Member Posts: 39
    #5
    I'd Buy a Lottery Ticket

    My team briefed me about needing BHOT in relation to extractions or any work that could involve the jawbone or surrounding area due to the reasons you specified.  Sounds to me like you were pretty lucky in that although you were obviously in a lot of pain, the extraction worked without incident.  With that kind of luck, I'd buy a lottery ticket.  I'm really glad things worked out the way they did, that you're no longer in pain, and things worked out.

    Wishing you continued success.

    Bugsy

  • ERomanO
    ERomanO Member Posts: 323 Member
    #6
    Oh, my RO told me all about

    Oh, my RO told me all about the damages to the jawbone from radiation, and I'm sure I got some because of thr one infected lymph node that was close to it.  When he was telling me about the lifelong fluoride treatments I would need he said that if an infection got into the jawbone that a chunk of my leg bone would be used for reconstruction.  Then he added "It's an amazing surgery, but you don't want that!".  So I got all that, but I never heard the word "hyperbaric".

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