Gums and dental problems after chemo

dianetavegia
dianetavegia Member Posts: 1,942 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I finished chemo just over 3 weeks ago and saw my dentist last week. She said my gums are inflamed, etc. On a scale of 1 to 3, with 1 being good, my gums were a 3. There was a LOT of blood from the cleaning! She assured me this is from chemo. She had me begin flossing again plus gave me special toothpaste, etc. She also said I'll have to have a crown on a back molar. I go for another check-up in four months.

I waited a few days after the cleaning before starting to floss again because my mouth was sore. Wow, each night when I floss, there is quite a bit of bleeding when I spit (two or three times)! I've never had gum problems so this is all new to me. I can't really see where it's coming from so I assume each area I floss bleeds a bit. I can rinse my mouth and there is no continued bleeding. Any thoughts?

I'm still having clotted bloody nose (not nose bleeds) almost each morning from the 5 FU.

Doctor checked my platelets two weeks after chemo ended tho I never had a problem with low platelets. I am taking one 325 mg. aspirin a day to help prevent recurrence. I've always taken aspirin instead of Tylenol type drugs and have not had problems with it. I whacked my arm hard and tripped over something, hitting my leg hard... doing yard work a few days ago and got two normal looking bruises that quickly started to fade, so I don't think it's a platelet problem.

Thoughts? Anyone experience this?

Comments

  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #2
    teeth problems too
    Hi Diane,

    I just had a new crown put on yesterday (temporary actually- the final comes in two weeks). This is my second crown in 6 months. My onc had no problem with me having the dentalwork while on chemo, since my counts have all been good. He did, however, want me to schedule the procedure for the end of the cycle instead of right after chemo, which I did.

    I'm told that the dry mouth caused by chemo (with the irinotecan for me) can cause great havoc. When the saliva is lessened or the ph of the saliva is changed, that can allow decay to set in. I was told to use Biotene daily to keep my mouth moist. My dentist also has given me a gel fluoride to rub over my teeth to help protect them from decay as well.

    I never had problems with my teeth any other time in my life except for a few months following the birth of my third child. I'm really careful to clean my teeth well and to use floss or picks everyday to keep the food buildup and decay away.
  • johnnybegood
    johnnybegood Member Posts: 1,117 Member
    #3
    lisa42 said:

    teeth problems too
    Hi Diane,

    I just had a new crown put on yesterday (temporary actually- the final comes in two weeks). This is my second crown in 6 months. My onc had no problem with me having the dentalwork while on chemo, since my counts have all been good. He did, however, want me to schedule the procedure for the end of the cycle instead of right after chemo, which I did.

    I'm told that the dry mouth caused by chemo (with the irinotecan for me) can cause great havoc. When the saliva is lessened or the ph of the saliva is changed, that can allow decay to set in. I was told to use Biotene daily to keep my mouth moist. My dentist also has given me a gel fluoride to rub over my teeth to help protect them from decay as well.

    I never had problems with my teeth any other time in my life except for a few months following the birth of my third child. I'm really careful to clean my teeth well and to use floss or picks everyday to keep the food buildup and decay away.

    hello
    diane hope all is well. i have had problems with my teeth from the get go.in fact one time my platelets were low and that is where the blood came from was my gums,i looked like a vampire.it has slowed down a lot now,when i brush only a little blood now.my main problem is neuropathy it is even moving up my legs cant wait for this misery to end.sorry to hear about you gums,but we have come so far just know we are on the down side of the mountain now.Godbless.....johnnybegood
  • dianetavegia
    dianetavegia Member Posts: 1,942 Member
    #4
    johnnybegood said:

    hello
    diane hope all is well. i have had problems with my teeth from the get go.in fact one time my platelets were low and that is where the blood came from was my gums,i looked like a vampire.it has slowed down a lot now,when i brush only a little blood now.my main problem is neuropathy it is even moving up my legs cant wait for this misery to end.sorry to hear about you gums,but we have come so far just know we are on the down side of the mountain now.Godbless.....johnnybegood

    Vampire! Wow
    Just in time for Halloween. LOL

    My gums don't bleed when I brush, only floss. Yesterday I flossed twice because of some lettuce stuck between my teeth at lunch. I had seen my dentist just before my dx (days) so didn't check with her pre chemo. I just did as the onc's book said and didn't floss at all during chemo. My dentist said she disagreed with that instruction and since I was flossing daily and brushing well pre chemo, she would have told me to keep it up. She also doesn't like the salt water rinse.

    I've always had trouble with my teeth. No matter how well I cared for them, I've always had cavities. I think it's from growing up a poor southern child, drinking sweet tea instead of milk as a tiny child. My baby formula was condensed milk, thinned with water and sweetened with honey.

    The neuropathy in my legs is up to my knees but not anywhere as bad as you described. I don't trip, etc. My hands.... well I drop four or five things a day and it gets quite painful for a few hours each afternoon, but I am dealing with it. Hubby has started watching me and will jump up and help put dishes on the table, take things out of the oven, count money at the store.... Now if he'd just shower with me because I drop the soap 3 or four times each morning. :o)

    I noticed NanaB mentioned 'blood clots' in her nose. I meant to respond and tell her that's from the 5 FU and will pass. I read that it can take a few months for our mucous membranes to 'heal' after chemo. Nose. Gums. Soft tissue in the mouth. Throat. Salivary glands!

    Thanks gals!
  • nudgie
    nudgie Member Posts: 1,478 Member
    #5
    Teeth Issues
    Since finishing my treatment in 2006 I have had a lot of dental issues from cavaties, root canal and crowns to the point of exceeding my yrly insurance amount.

    I am now taking a flouride pill at night, using a dry mouth toothpast and mouth rinse. I also take XYZAL for a rash that comes and goes, which may cause the dryness issue, but don't know.
  • lesvanb
    lesvanb Member Posts: 905
    #6
    sugarless gum
    i don't know why exactly but I did crave to chew sugarless gum all through treatment. the sorbitol can aggravate diarrhea and i had to be careful right after the oxali infusion cause my jaw would clench but it did keep the saliva moving. i've had bad teeth all my life since puberty especially and have had no cavities or such after ending treatment. my dentist thinks the gum may have helped. my gums still will bleed slightly when i brush.

    Leslie
  • dianetavegia
    dianetavegia Member Posts: 1,942 Member
    #7
    checked while flossing
    So, after supper, I flossed but would floss each tooth and check for bleeding. The only spot that bleeds (quite a bit I should say) is around a tooth that had a root canal and crown about 7 years ago. My gum has receded a lot around that 'tooth'.

    I just saw the dentist 11 days ago and bled like a stuck pig that day. I just don't want to start losing teeth! YIKES!

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