Don't neglect fouride--test results in

Hal61
Hal61 Member Posts: 655
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Hello, as promised, back with a report and brief cautionary tale--Hal (65now)

 

The good news is I'm now Hal65.  As Hal61 I paid little attention to the posts championing flouride trays  and application.  The reasons for that are myriad but the m main ones were a lack of attention to that treatment by my docs--was never told about the need by my docs or dentist; and I was tired of doing stuff by that time.  So  no need for admonitions, as they serve no purpose at this point.

I explained to the forum then that I would serve as a test group.  While the rest applied flouridide  rigouously, I would not.  And, I would report back.  Now, closing on 4 inyears post treatment--35 rads, chemo (cisplatin), and partial neck dissection--my teeth are equickly deteriorating.  Not the jawbone as I did expect, but the teeth, namely the enamel.  I have a dentist appointment today, and I expect a flustered appraisal.  I have assiduously maintained my teeth--excepting fouride--since my treatment.  Always brushed after every morsel.  But, I will be needing to have them all pulled I imagine, and dentures fitted.

So, let this be a lesson.  Expect to survive and plan to keep your teeth, use your flouride forever.  As you know, no guarantees.

As an update for my old friends,  I'm still in my RV, and hope to make my trek on the Alaskan hiway next summer.  I recently worked briefly in southern Texas as a gate guard for "fraccing" efforts to help keep oil on your table, ha.  Just more recently finished working three days at the "Hangout" music festival at Gulf Shores, Florida, attended by 35, 40 thousand mainly great kids.  Funniest moment:  As I stood my turn at one of the porta potties that comprised a small village in itself at the festival, a young man exited the stall I was entering.  It was late and the porta potties were getting less and less portable.  In a slight Scottish brogue he said to me, "She can't take much more captain!"  People are funny.

best to all of you, and to all my old buds

Hal

Comments

  • fishmanpa
    fishmanpa Member Posts: 1,227 Member
    #2
    See that!

    Thanks for the report Hal!


    I recently posted a thread about dental care and how it seemed as if the dental aspect was kind of glossed over in my treatment. I went to my dentist and got cleared to go but neither he nor my team stressed the flouride treatement as a must do necessity. They didn;t indicate that dental issues down the line were nearly a certainty either. My dentist recommended a flouride rinse (he doesn't do trays) that I use 1-2 times a day on top of the brushing and flossing. I can have fluoride applied at his office at my visits as well.

    While I'm not thriled with the rather dim prospects of my teeth, I'm happy to be alive. First things first... Stay NED long enough to worry about it! ;)~

    "T"

     

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #3
    HAL

    No connection to 2001: A Space Odyssey and one letter off... HAL - IBM.

    Great to hear from you, not so much concerning the teeth...

    Also, keep that RV on the road..., LOL... I heard rumors of a brief excursion last year I believe it was involving a little, ummm Off Roading.

    JG

  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #4
    Skiffin16 said:

    HAL

    No connection to 2001: A Space Odyssey and one letter off... HAL - IBM.

    Great to hear from you, not so much concerning the teeth...

    Also, keep that RV on the road..., LOL... I heard rumors of a brief excursion last year I believe it was involving a little, ummm Off Roading.

    JG

    Yes

    Hal has the darndest luck hitting things while almost standing still.  Now, at speed, he's a very good driver (said in the voice of Dustin Hoffman).  Maybe Hal just needs to use his teeth more, that might solve the breakage problem.  Or something.

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,722 Member
    #5
    update

    Hal,

    Couldn’t you have used a test monkey?

    I guess all I am testing is coffee, you think I could put a little fluoride in my next cup of Joe.

    Dig on the RV, the Alcan Hwy and Gulf Shores, let’s go.

    Matt

  • tommyodavey
    tommyodavey Member Posts: 726 Member
    #6
    CivilMatt said:

    update

    Hal,

    Couldn’t you have used a test monkey?

    I guess all I am testing is coffee, you think I could put a little fluoride in my next cup of Joe.

    Dig on the RV, the Alcan Hwy and Gulf Shores, let’s go.

    Matt

    On Board

    Thanks Hal, for putting yourself out there for the experiment.  Too bad it turned out the way it did though.

     

    Lucky for me, my team consisted of a surgeon, rad onc, and oral surgeon.  I was told up front about using the flouride trays for life.  I am only one year out and no change so far.

     

    My late father in law had SCC in his late 50's.  His team told him to rinse with Hydrogen Peroxide every night which did no good of course.  He lost all his teeth by his early 70's.  Not bad really when you think about it.  I do hope to do much better using the trays and seeing the dentist more often.

     

    Let's hope you get fitted nicely with your new chompers.

     

    Tom

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #7
    tommyodavey said:

    On Board

    Thanks Hal, for putting yourself out there for the experiment.  Too bad it turned out the way it did though.

     

    Lucky for me, my team consisted of a surgeon, rad onc, and oral surgeon.  I was told up front about using the flouride trays for life.  I am only one year out and no change so far.

     

    My late father in law had SCC in his late 50's.  His team told him to rinse with Hydrogen Peroxide every night which did no good of course.  He lost all his teeth by his early 70's.  Not bad really when you think about it.  I do hope to do much better using the trays and seeing the dentist more often.

     

    Let's hope you get fitted nicely with your new chompers.

     

    Tom

    Hydrogen Peroxide

    They had me rinse and spit several times a day using a Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda Mix... That worked out great as for keeping my mouth sore free and everything else...

    I did however use flouride daily during rads and several months after...

    I'm down now to once a week or so...

    JG

Discussion Boards