Extractions prior to head and neck radiation are often recommended to reduce the risk of osteonecrosis of the jaws after radiation.

Tooth decay: Radiation can cause major tooth decay problems. Good mouth care can help you keep your teeth and gums healthy and can help you feel better. Dentists usually suggest that people gently brush their teeth, gums, and tongue with an extra-soft toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste after every meal and before bed.

Osteoradionecrosis is an extremely serious complication for patients requiring tooth extraction after radiation therapy, and the risk does not appear to diminish with time (for the rest of his/her life the patient should never allow a dentist to extract a tooth after radiation therapy without consulting a radiation …

According to the National Cancer Institute, radiation causes many changes inside your mouth that make you more susceptible to tooth decay. Radiation damages your salivary glands and leads to xerostomia, also known as dry mouth, which has many additional effects other than making your mouth uncomfortably dry.

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy may cause changes in the lining of the mouth and the salivary glands, which make saliva. This can upset the healthy balance of bacteria. These changes may lead to mouth sores, infections, and tooth decay.

Several diseases that affect enamel (the hard surface of the teeth) and dentin (the underlying material under enamel) can lead to tooth discoloration. For example, head and neck radiation and chemotherapy can cause teeth discoloration.

Radiation to the mouth and throat area can cause several short-term side effects depending on where the radiation is aimed and can include:

• Skin changes like a sunburn or suntan in the treated area.
• Hoarseness.
• Loss of taste.
• Redness, soreness, or even pain in the mouth and throat.
• Dry mouth.
• Trouble swallowing.
• Feeling tired.

Talk to your dentist about using fluoride gel to help prevent the cavities that head and neck radiation causes. Talk regularly with your cancer doctor and dentist about any mouth problems you have during and after head and neck radiation treatment.

The general effects of radiation therapy like fatigue, nausea, and headaches resolve fairly quickly after treatment. Your body just needs time to process the radiation but can recover within a few weeks.

Will I be able to drive after my radiotherapy treatment? Almost all patients are able to drive while receiving radiotherapy treatment. However, with some types of cancer, driving may NOT be recommended due to fatigue or strong pain medication.

If there are teeth outside of the potential high dose field of radiation that are symptomatic or have a hopeless prognosis, they should be extracted prior to radiation, if time permits.

Caries (tooth decay) Teeth in the proposed high dose field of radiation should be considered for preradiation therapy extraction if they have deep decay, especially in a patient that has numerous areas of tooth decay throughout the oral cavity.

I didn’t have any teeth pulled. I have lost one tooth since rads. Generally speaking, it is wise to have a dental opinion from a dentist who is well versed at modern radiation treatment of the oral cavity. I’m not saying you don’t have such a dentist, but if you don’t, you may be overtreated.

A dental examination before irradiation of head and neck cancers is important, Dr. Martin said, for two reasons: to impress on the patient the need for fluoride therapy and to remove any unrestorable, abscessed, or periodontally diseased teeth in the field of radiation therapy.