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Dental Health (Expert Forum)
Radiation to the jaw & tooth extraction
Answered by
Private Practice
CA
Questions in the Dental Health forum are answered by Dr. Jerome Tsang and Dr. Jerome Bogin. Topics covered include bridges, cavities, crowns, and x-rays.
Radiation to the jaw & tooth extraction
by jlw0606, Mar 11, 2009 12:09PM
hey there
I wanted to get a back tooth extracted due to major dental work that was needed on it.
my dentist advised me against doing the procedure due to extensive radiation i had to the head & neck.
I know i am more prone to tooth decay 'cause of the dry mouth i have, but i wasnt aware of any socket
problems/infections that may occur. with the radiation done, can i in the near future have any teeth extracted?
can you please shed some light on the damage the radiation did to my jaw .
thxn for your comments
I wanted to get a back tooth extracted due to major dental work that was needed on it.
my dentist advised me against doing the procedure due to extensive radiation i had to the head & neck.
I know i am more prone to tooth decay 'cause of the dry mouth i have, but i wasnt aware of any socket
problems/infections that may occur. with the radiation done, can i in the near future have any teeth extracted?
can you please shed some light on the damage the radiation did to my jaw .
thxn for your comments
Doctor's Answer
by Jerome Tsang, DDS, Mar 12, 2009 04:13AM
, Mar 12, 2009 04:13AMTo: jlw0606
Radiation to the jaw due to head/neck cancer can cause problems with dry mouth as well as an increase of risk of infection of the jaw. Generally radiation of the upper jaw area results in dry mouth due to damage of the parotid (salivary) gland. This makes you more prone to cavities. Radiation of the lower jaw area generally doesn't have a big an issue with dry mouth but since the blood flow of the lower jaw is poorer, theres a tendency for the blood vessels to die and this results in poor blood flow. This poor blood flow makes you more prone to infections after extractions. The consequences of a jaw infection are very serious and can result in loss of the lower jaw. I can understand why your dentist is very wary of removing the teeth.
You may want to post this question in the oral and maxillofacial surgery section and discuss this with an oral surgeon. They are more likely to deal with these types of situations and fits more into their speciality.
You may want to post this question in the oral and maxillofacial surgery section and discuss this with an oral surgeon. They are more likely to deal with these types of situations and fits more into their speciality.
