Tooth Extraction Next Week

[LindyK]

I am going to have a tooth extracted next week.  This will be my 3rd week of treatment.  I have read here that healing takes longer due to the interferon.  Will I have the same problem with healing since I am early in my treatment or does it matter?  Does anyone have any suggestions that will aid the healing process?  (Oh yeah, I also have to have my big toenail removed in a couple of weeks since I ripped it almost all the way off in a freak accident on Thanksgiving Day).

Linda

[macd238]

After being on four trials, the teeth below my ppermanent bridge have disolved and broken off. My lower teeth are falling out.  Has anyone else had problems with Interferon or Riboviiron?

[nitramog]

TX gives you lots off teeth problems, pain, very loose gums, a lout ova these problems heal up! there self's a few months after tx to a year latter don't wiggle loose teeth, if its a new problem after you started tx I'd wait if! you can!. 3years later all my teeth are good! the 4 the dentist wanted to pull.! try just gum wash like peridex oral rinse I'm not a dentist but I have Sean dentists very wrong, with friends of mine also!! wile tx,ing

[purplefrog]

Please be sure you have your white cells checked a couple of days before any extractions or procedures which may cause infections. Very important. Your dentist can then determine whether to go ahead with the procedure or not.  My whites have gone from 2.0 to 5.3 in one week which made it possible for a cyst removal.  Unfortunatly, on treatment, these little tests play an important part in the simplest procedures.  We'll make it through though 'cause we're fighters and survivors.  If we weren't we wouldn't be here writing for ourselves and others.  Be strong my friend.  Good Luck...Betty

[LindyK]

Thanks everyone!  Thankfully, my dentist's wife and I have been friends for about 16 years so he will take good care of me.  Unfortunately, one side of my mouth is a mess already.  I had been going to a different dentist and the insurance company I had at the time took forever to get the estimate back before they could do any work.  Then when I finally got it, my company changed insurance companies and it started all over.  I was planning to use my flex plan savings for my dental work but ended up using a lot of it in trying to feel better (before I was dx with Hep C) and now I have just enough to get me through tx.  The good thing is, and why I turned to my friend's husband, is that he will work out a payment plan for my part of costs.  I don't like to use connections like that but when you are dealing with Hep C you have to call on everybody!  In July, when the flex plan savings starts over, I will be finished with tx and will get whatever dental work done that is left after what absolutely has to be done right now.

You know, the reason I may not be feeling any side effects is because the whole half of my head and face has felt like it was going to explode! LOL!

Space - Don't scare me like that!! :)

[NYgirl]

I've had a lot of major dentistry (root canals, removals) during treatment because I just didn't listen and get it done BEFORE treatment started. I've had NO problems at all. If your white blood counts are good you should be fine.

It's just so hard to believe how much the interferon eats away at our teeth. Now, going on week 64, I realize all next year will be taken up fixing all the simple cavities that turned into root canals.

WHY didn't I listen and fix them first? Oh yeah...I was impatient and wanted to start treatment.  What a bozo.

You should be just fine.

[chcnme]

You're a riot!

[chcnme]

Hi Linda, glad your dentist knows.  And no I didn't have any problem healing or with any infection afterwards, but - I went for quite a few visits for the planing and scraping.  Actually , it was a huge relief when they finally got all that infection out because it had gone down to the bony structure and so da** painful I really wanted someone to just chop my head off.  I had no clue I was that bad off dental-wise, but I was, and when those wbcs went down - whew.  But they kept me on AB's for about a week as I recall, and I also had to use an antimicrobial rinse  (called peridex - great stuff, requires Rx, and you may even want to ask him about that because it will help keep the bacteria down).  It could stain your teeth (it didn't stain mine),  but any stain can easily be removed by the hygienst.  For the peridex, I use a bristle-type tool - it's just a single little bristle that you can get inbetween your teeth with vs. floss, and I dip it in the peridex and then run it between my teeth like floss.  Treatment can do a number on your teeth or gums and really leave you... wide open (no pun intended LOL).  If there is any brewing infection now, I sure hope you get it successfully treated now (and you CAN!)  Just be diligent.  Don't stop any home care they tell you do.  DOn't miss any appointments. Go to town in your mouth with every tool they give you to help you keep any infection at bay.  Dentist will see you in followup, I hope, and will make sure you're healing OK.  If later you begin to hurt at ALL at that site or another, call him.  He might think another course of AB's is in order.  Let your GI doc know too.

Hey sfbay girl!  AND YES - no sucking on straws! No cigs, either (try to smoke one when your entire face is numb from your eyeballs to your neck :)  Just kidding!  

Linda, you'll do fine, I think!  Best of luck.

[sfbaygirl]

Be sure not to suck on a straw afterwards! I have had 2 dry sockets after extractions and talk about painful! I had to go have my tooth packed every day for a month...OUCH.

I agree with chcnme about the antibiotics... or as HR suggests a little extra INF...

Chcnme; my x had heart valve infection and was always told to get the antibiotic before dental work.

[LindyK]

Thanks for the info - I will ask my dentist about those suggestions.  Of course he knows I'm on Interferon and his main concern was taking a while to heal.  Did you have any problems with that?

Linda

[chcnme]

Ouch, poor toe and tooth !  I was going to suggest that he might put you a one-time dose of antibiotic one-hour prior to the work (it's called prophylasix), but I see your on antibiotics now already.  But - I was too (prior to), and they still did the one time big whopping dose one hour prior to the work.  Some use Zithromax; others Amoxicillin.  I think it just depends on dentists choice.  I was two weeks into treatment and had an infection in my mouth go bonkers - peridontal disease.)  Whoa.  They pulled me from tx, put me on antibiotics, waited a few days, and then high dosed me one hour before they did the dental stuff.  But I also have a heart valve disease, and they do the big dose of antibiotics everytime with dental procedures anyhow for that, BUT - they also do it for patients whose wbcs might be down who have NO heart disease  (just for that added coverage.)  One gal I know had a root canal done on treatment and some other work too, and they put her on the high-dose antibiotics one hour prior to and a few days after.  She did fine - no infection, doing OK now.  I did fine - no more infection (but I sure worry about what might happen again if/when I begin tx again - that was no fun.)  

Glad your on antibiotic now. That will probably do it AOK, but you still might want to ask just to  make sure.  Best of luck!

[LindyK]

Prior to starting treatment all my blood work looked good.  My tooth is absessed and infected (tooth broke, filling fell out) and there's no saving it.  The dentist prescribed antibiotics which I started today.  Now the toenail I could probably just wait until it falls off naturally instead of having the doc remove it.  It is not infected nor does it hurt.  I've just kept it bandaged so as not to snag it on anything.

Linda

[desrt]

What are your white cell counts, neutrophils, and such? Bacterial infections are not a good thing when that part of your immune system is at a low.