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Dental work

stitch5758
  • 1 reply
  • 33 subscribers
  • 195 views

I was diagnosed with base of tongue cancer in 2016. I had 35 rounds of Radiotherapy and 2 sessions of chemo. Before radiotherapy started I was told that post treatment I would never be able to have a tooth removed. I just need confirmation that this is still the case. My dental work is now costing me a fortune. I have been having 3 monthly check ups since, lots of fillings and I'm now onto my 3rd crown. Will I ever be able to have a tooth removed? Also my friends son was recently in an accident and lost 2 teeth. What if that was me? What would happen?

  • Hi stich5758,  

    My name is Keith and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists 

    I hope you are finding the support from our online community helpful. 

    We would always advise for you to contact your  multidisciplinary team  (MDT) to clarify your situation regarding tooth extractions/dental work. Macmillan on this platform don’t have access to NHS medical records so it makes it difficult for us to answer your question. Your MDT would have the greatest understanding of your individual clinical history regarding your question. It’s common for treatment teams to be involved in the decision-making process for any dental treatment before it is undertaken. 

    Radiotherapy can cause long term changes to the bone in the area that’s been treated. 

    One possible reason/side effect of your treatment could be caused by a condition called  osteoradionecrosis which can cause serious complications for patients who need to have dental extractions after radiotherapy for example. This condition makes the ability of the bone to deal with any trauma and avoid infection very difficult.  

    It’s important to make your dentist aware of the guidance you have received from your cancer team. Your GP may also have been given a report regarding this, so it may be worthwhile contacting your GP if you can’t get in contact with your cancer treatment team. 

    On this platform it can be difficult to have a two-way conversation and to fully understand what you are going through. 

    If you’d like further explanation or have any other questions, please feel free to recontact us. Or if you think it may help to discuss things with someone outside the loop please feel free to give us a call or contact us via our web chat platform. 

    Take Care 

    Keith, Cancer Information Nurse Specialist 

    You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email. 

    Ref KM/AC

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