teeth problems post treatment

[elinda45]

Sallieannie - will definitely bear that in mind for the future. x

[elinda45]

I'm not working but not on benefits so that means money out of my savings again. That will be £1180 in the last 2 months!

It's all the toing and froing to appointments too isn't it. It gets me down all the endless appointments for things - teeth, physio, Onc check ups, lymphodema. It makes it hard to have a normal life and forget about it all. Still I am very very grateful that these are all minor things in the scheme of things.

Ninja - sorry to hear about your tooth snapping, that's nasty. It doesn't seem to be anything to do with dental hygiene. I haven't needed my teeth cleaned at the dentists for years as I never have any tartar. My husband has his done every 3 months because his builds up and yet he rarely has any other dental treatment.

I'm now more convinced than ever from everyone's postings that the chemo has caused some of the problems.

Thanks for sharing and I wish us all strong and healthy teeth in the future! Elinda x

[Ninja]

Sorry, you don't unless you are on certain means tested benefits.

[Guest user]

Hi just logged on after being away ages, trying to catch up and noticed this thread re teeth,. i believe u get free dental treatment if had chemo....................... xxx

[Ninja]

Another one here. Half my tooth just snapped off 2 days ago.
Previously, my teeth have not had any work done for many, many years and my dentist always remarked that I had the best dental hygiene of virtually any of his patients.

I've got a temporary dressing/filling and he will have to crown it in a few months when my immune system has recovered some more.

[sallieannie]

Elinda I hope you are recovering from your treatment. I can't beleive you've had it done 5 times you poor thing! In answer to your question, my normal dentist referred me to the teaching hospital, it was really simple. He just wrote them a short letter outlining my case and within a few weeks I had an appointment with them and they started treating me.

sky2sea I completely agree that we should get free dental treatment as cancer treatments can be implicated in teeth, gum and mouth problems.

[sky2sea]

I think we should be entitled to free dental treatment along with the prescription exemption. My chemo finished in july and rads in Sept and I'm currently sporting two temp fillings; one where I've had root canal treatment and another following decay under a crown which now seems to need root canal treatment also. Tis not cheap to have this work done and I suspect there is more to follow. I worked really hard at counteracting the lack of saliva through my treatment and at first thought i had suceeded but ... it seems not.

[aroma]

im 5 yrs post treatments and still having dental problems all to do with chemo and rads etc .i have now got osteoporosis and am on bone tabs so am unable to have any major treatments done at my dentist and have to go to the dental hospital to have teeth extracted .i have always looked after my teeth but since my treatments my teeth are in a terrible state .im now sporting a plate with false teeth on and ma due to have more taken out ! i may not be having active treatments just on femara ,but still suffering side effects this far down the line ! but hey im still alive albiet toothless lol!!

[elinda45]

Sallieannie - interesting that your dentist felt it might be related.

I hope all your treatment goes well. I had my root canal redone yesterday (5th time!) and its sore today as you can imagine.
I think what you're doing is a fabulous idea. I will certainly give that some thought for the future and see if I can find one fairly close by.

Can I ask how you got referred there? Was it via your own dentist? Elinda x

[sallieannie]

I am having a load of dental work done at the moment. (I am coming up to 1 yr post treatment, just on tamox now). I too need a root canal and I also have veneers which need replacing. My dentist said it could be a result of my treatment, or it could just be a co-incidence.

I am having it all done for free at a nearby dental hospital which trains students. I know some people are funny about having students work on them but I don't mind - they are well supervised and in their 5th (final) year and almost about to gradaute. So in a couple of months they will be fully-fledged dentists anyway. And I actually think they might care even more about getting everything spot-on as they are being evaluated on their work, and obviously want to graduate so perhaps more likely to dot every "i" and cross every "t" ??? That's what I tell myself anyway! Plus I also feel like I am "doing my bit"; if no-one allowed student dentists (or doctors or nurses for that matter) to work on them how would they ever learn to treat real patients?

Anyway I know not everyone might like the idea but just thought I would mention it as the cost of dentistry is so extortionate (the stuff I am getting done would have cost over £6,000!). It takes longer and you have more appointments than if your normal dentist did the work, but for me it is totally worth it taking a bit longer as otherwise I just couldn't have afforded it. If you have a dental school near you it might be worth asking your dentist to refer you, if you think this is something you might be interested in. Anyway I just thought I would share in case it helps anyone - previously I didn't even realise you could do this. Good luck to everyone, sometimes it just feels like it's one thing after another doesn't it xxxx

[scottdolly]

I had root canal work done during and after my chemo....I had no idea it was connected to my treatment...I was in agony with it. It's good to know the cause.

[elinda45]

thanks everyone not just for replies but for being there to let off steam to. I can't talk to my other half about it too much as he's totally fed up with paying my dentistry bills!

I didn't know that about saliva either. Although the endodontist (specialist in root canals) said that the nerve had just died in my teeth. Neither tooth had any decay or filling. I can't help wondering if the taxotere did something although it was a while ago now.

Norberte - I'm like you with the water. I never the leave the house without my trusty bottle. I also clean my teeth at least three times a day. Frustrating thing is my dentist says I'm doing everything right, I never have any tartar on my teeth - he said its genetics and luck.

take care everyone and let's hope for problem free mouths and teeth!
Elinda x

[Guest user]

I too am having all sorts of problems with my mouth post chemo and i was really interested to hear that chemo can reduce the amount of saliva which in turn can effect the teeth. My mouth is as dry as a bone one minute then i seem to have excess saliva and end up swollowing all the tme and clearing my throat, it doesn't sound too bad but it really is and is constant every day and night.
i am seeing dentist next week so will see what he has to say and of what damage may have been caused.
Melx

[Guest user]

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[elinda45]

I'm sorry to hear others are having problems but also good to know I'm not alone in this.
The thing is that I'm 20 months on from finishing treatment now so I wouldn't have thought that the chemo would still be having any effect. Perhaps it's just a coincidence, I don't know.

I did have a full check up while I was waiting to start chemo and there was nothing.

I feel a bit down with it all partly because of all the money that I've got to find but also because I feel like my body is struggling to get back to normal even after all this time. In between dental appointments (both 45 minute journeys away), I'm also having physio for my shoulder/neck problem which is needed because of problems after my surgery. My life seems to be endless GP, hospital and dental appointments and not much else!

Sorry, a lot of self pity going on. Think I'm just a bit tired. Elinda x

[Alto]

I broke a tooth during chemo and also lost part of another. I've just had them fixed five months later - luckily I have a dental insurance policy through work that pays back all my NHS charges (not private treatment I'm afraid!)

My dentist told me the same - it's the lack of saliva that causes the problems. She prescribed me some Fluorigard mouthwash to use during chemo to protect my teeth as much as possble.

Some people have been told to go their dentist before starting chemo to get their teeth checked over first and have anything sorted that might flare up. You can't have invasive treatment during chemo due to the infection risk. My dentist also wouldn't work on my teeth during or soon after rads due to the bone softening effect and the fact that rads also knock your immunity.

She just took the sharp edge off my broken tooth and covered it with a temporary filling that lasted until I went to see her a couple of weeks ago to have the permanent one done.

i wish I'd been warned, but TBH there really wasn't time to go to the dentist before starting chemo and I don't think I'd have wanted to delay that.

Jane xxx

[Guest user]

Hi

I finished my treatment in March 2009 (epi, CMF then 21 rads) and am still having trouble with my nashers. I first noticed a hole in one of my back teeth which my dentist said was damage from the rads and chemo which he said reduce the amount of saliva in the mouth. Am now sporting a massive temporary crown where now most of the tooth has just crumbled away 😞 keep smiling (oops).xx

[elinda45]

Is anyone else out there having lots of teeth problems since finishing treatment?

I'm now 20 months on but having so many problems. The chemo did stain my front tooth and I thought that was it. But now I seem to be having problems.
I've had two root fillings in the last 3 months both to teeth with no fillings in. One won't settle and I have it done 4 times now! The last two times by a endodontist at a cost of £500 and it's still playing up.
Yesterday, the crown on another tooth came off and apparantly its got decay underneath (I never normally have tooth decay). I'm now going to have to spend £350 for a new crown.

I look after my teeth really well and the dentist says its not my fault (I've been going to him 20 years). The problem is I haven't been able to go back to work since treatment so each time the cost is a huge worry.

Is it just me? Elinda x