Today the crown on one of my front teeth has partially broken off, and can see the old tooth underneath. Im concerned my dentist wont want to treat me because im on chemo. is it safe to have anaesthetic and work done while on chemo. it looks really horrible. :-((
Hi Spudgirl,
My dentist wouldn’t touch me while I was having chemo (I only lasted one cycle before quitting), and wanted to know (if) I was in remission when I went for a filling a few weeks later. As my blood count was ok and good level of platelets and white cells she was happy to treat me a month or so after my chemo. You might need to wait till you are done to be on the safe side. My dentist told me bacteria in the mouth can be forced into the bloodstream by the tools and air they use, hence waiting till after chemo and knowing white cells were ok.
Good luck with your treatments - dental and oncological!
Lisa xx
One of my molars broke last Monday. I’m not having a great week! A quarter of the tooth just disappeared. I presume I swallowed it!
I tried to contact the oncologist for advice, and finally had a message to say she wanted to speak with the dentist before I underwent “any form of invasive treatment”.
I saw the dentist Thursday, and he wants to remove the big old amalgam filling in the broken tooth, together with the one in the adjacent tooth, and refill both teeth.
So I relayed my onc’s message, and he said, well a filling isn’t really invasive! I told him ANY dental work including injections, or even cleaning would count, and would he please speak with my oncologist! He seemed genuinely surprised!! Anyway, he did agree, and on Thursday he just smoothed off the sharp broken edges.
He doesn’t want to leave it until I am all done treatment because he said there were signs of a little decay beneath the old filling. It’s not currently causing any pain, but its still making my tongue a bit sore!
Thanks both.
Morwenna , sorry you are having teeth problems too. I am sooo Fed up, mine looks hideous. There is no way I can look like this until after chemo. This week is my “low immunity” week, I reckon the Onc will say I need to wait till next week, if he allows it to be sorted. Also, I am dentist phobic, so only want to see my own dentist. If I have to have it done at the hospital cos of chemo I’ll be a nervous wreck.
I wonder if dentist could put temp filling on half a broken crown? I may have to wear a bag over my head so as not to scare people in the meantime.
I just want to cry now, feeling very sorry for myself. 
That’s what I wanted, a temporary filling. I feel so low at present, the thought of injections, drills clamps and whatnot just makes me want to cry too.
I think I might stay in bed all day today, and cuddle my cat. It’s the first day during all this that I don’t even have the inclination to make it to the couch!
Husband is working, son has my car, its cold and rainy outside. I’m not likely to see anyone all day, and I daren’t venture too far from a bathroom anyway… I think a wallow is in order.
I also broke a tooth whilst on chemo but my dentist could only do a temporary repair which was then filled properly once I had finished my chemo as you are not supposed to have any invasive treatment carried out whilst on chemo due to the risk of infection.
Hi Spudgirl
I had my chemo between August and November last year. By the november my upper back molar was giving me some grief. At first I thought it was a chemo side effect as it gave me excruciating ear pain, as though someone was sticking a hot pin in my ear. I had to sleep on the settee propped up as it got worse lying down. It was referred pain from my tooth. I had one more chemo to go and the onc team did not want me to have any dental work done until a month after the chemo was finished. I was in agony!!! A month!!! They said I was welcome to get my tooth fixed but the chemo would have to be delayed a week or so. I managed on painkillers until chemo was done and then the pain went. Finally had it done at the beginning of Feb this year.
Hope that helps.
mandyj.xx
Just wanted to give an update, the dentist gave me a temp filling today because I didn’t need drilling or needles. I am soooo relieved!
Hopefully it will last until chemo ends and I can have a nice new crown.
Morwenna I do hope you get yours sorted.
Mazzalou how long did you have to wait after chemo? Was it a month like Lisa and Mandy? I was hoping to get it done before my operation (I am having chemo before op) and before rads, but I have no idea how soon op will be after chemo.
Mandyj, how awful! I don’t think I could have coped with pain that long!
xxx
An update from me too.
Just got back from seeing my oncologist. She says she has spoken with my dentist and he has agreed to hold off on my dental work until after I’ve finished chemo.
I hope my tooth remains painfree, and my tongue doesn’t get too sore in the meantime. My chemo has just been cancelled for this week due to bowel issues, so that’ll put me back another week!
Hi Spudgirl
My ONC advised all invasive dental work wait until at least one month after chemo has finished to ensure that your immune system is back to normal. I think that the same will apply to any op that is done post-chemo but I am sure that somebody will put you right on this one.
If it’s any consolation I had my temporary filling done on 19th of August 2011, and it was so well done that it still hasn’t needed re-doing! 
Hi Spudgirl,
Yay for temporary fillings! I hope you aren’t in any pain and the temporary lasts till you can get a proper fix. Nature should give us girls a break, we’re already dealing with a lot!!
I had to get antibiotics for an infection around my wisdom teeth last month. They were pretty strong, but it is still lurking. I have ben referred to the hospital to have the offending tooth removed. Unfortunately my comorbidity means general anaesthetics are tricky, and I don’t think for one second I’d be able to cope with just a local knowing my anxiety levels. So it looks as though I’ll be keeping my just-showing wisdom tooth and hoping the infection doesn’t keep coming back. Not ideal, but not having another op can’t be such a bad thing I guess.
Isn’t it amazing what we will accept as ok after having cancer, whereas before there’s no way we’d settle for less than perfect. Before cancer and my pneumothorax I was a confident, bright, hard working, successful, youngish thing with life plans, holidays each year and living life to the full. Now I’m “happy” if I get through the day without a mega anxiety attack, fatigue, back/joint pain, or new symptoms/side effects to worry about, and I think I almost enjoy just sitting on the sofa in front of the telly with the cat on my lap. Never before would that have happened!! Yes I am grateful to be alive, just wish there could be more to the rest of my life than not being able to do what I want, when I like!!
Grr! Sorry, moan over 
Lisa xx
Oh Lisa, how horrible for you. I was thinking when I get my new crown done I will ask for a sedative. I normally shake like mad at the dentist, partly through utter fear and partly due to the adrenaline in the anaesthetic. I had a sedative just before the op to insert my portacath. I was completely with it, I just felt lovely and calm. Perhaps that might work for you ?
I know what you mean about life changing. At the moment I am just trying to make the most of the weeks I am not feeling sick between chemo, but making the most of it really just involves getting outside once in a while and doing normal stuff like shopping etc…
xxx
I did ask my dentist if he could just put a temporary filling or something but he said he didn’t like to do that as there were signs of decay under the old amalgam filling in the tooth that broke. Maybe now he has spoken to my onc and agreed to delay treatment until after chemo is finished, he might bung on something just to protect what is there and exposed by the tooth breaking!
Hi
one of my fillings split after chemo 4 but i had to just ignore it until a month after chemo 6. It was horrid but nothing is worth putting yourself in hospital for!
QD x
Hey Spudgirl, thanks for the suggestion about a sedative. It’s a really good idea! I’ve had to take diazepam in the past and know it works really well, so perhaps I will mention it when I see the surgeon next month.
Glad you are able to get out and do normal things when you’re not feeling sick. Try to treat yourself each week, even if it’s just the best brand of ginger nuts money can buy! he first few days after my chemo I could barely get out of bed :-S Hope you don’t get too many side effects for the rest of your treatments and get that filling made permanent soon! I am three months out of rads and on tamoxifen; the fatigue is starting to get better, but I’m still shattered and oversleeping in the mornings - and finding try hard to get to sleep (hence the lateness of this message!). You will get there!
Morwenna, I hope you can get a temporary fix now that your dentist knows he has to wait, so it doesn’t let the decay break off or worsen. It’s a worry you can do without, having a bare tooth in need of repair!
Lisa xx