False teeth & Nasopharyngeal carcinoma

GeraldineT · New User Joined: 29 May 2009 Posts: 2 Location: Australia

Hi All. I'm a surviver of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. I was diagnosed 7 years ago & went through with the usual treatment then. I did have good hearing & good teeth & I could eat without water to help to wet the food, before the treatment, but I have now learnt to cope with all these changers. I also have constant infections where the tumor was & it's hard to cope with the build up of dried flem that builds up in my pharyngeal passage at night while I sleep. That's not why I have joined this forum. I'm hoping to find someone else how has had their teeth out & lives with false teeth now, I also have a problem with how far I can open my mouth now, as my jaw has calcified from the radiation, so would also like to talk with someone with the same problem, who has false teeth as-well.
I don't mind if some one want some advice about how to cope with the whole thing but also hope to get some advice as well. Thanks in advance. Confused

samkcy79 · New User Joined: 27 Jan 2006 Posts: 2 Location: Singapore

Hi there!

Try saliva substitutes. Buy brands like biotene and GC mousse/gel . Also, try place 3 fingers vertically into your mouth. Do this 15 times, thrice daily. Also, place your fist below your chin and push your jaw against it (in this way you are actually excercising your jaw muscles) . It may be painful at first but try it a few more times and you will do better. If 3 fingers won't do, try 2 then 3. Don't give up. With more of this excercise, you would realise that you tend to chew better and thus you will see improvements in your eating and diet.

After all those treatments you have, you probably lost alot of weight. And thus your dentures probably don't fit well any more. Get to your dentist and do a new one. It will cost you $, it will help. Rinse your mouth and dentures after every meal. By fitting in a new set of dentures, you will eat better Smile

.

Hope this helps!
Samantha K

GeraldineT · New User Joined: 29 May 2009 Posts: 2 Location: Australia

Thank you for the info Samantha but I don't think I gave enough info in the last post.

I haven't had my teeth out yet, but I need to have them all out, as they are all rotting in my mouth. Seven years ago, I had good teeth, & when I had the radiation, they told me I would eventually have to get them out. They told me that before I did have any removed, I would have to have hyperbaric ( the chamber that divers go into when they get the bends) treatment to straighten my bones, or my jaw would brake because radiation make them brittle, so I did that.

I have had teeth remove over the last 7 years, but now they all need to go. I went to see one of the top dentists & he tried to tell me that I would not be able to get dentures in my moth due to my jaw not opening far. Since then, I have seen another dentist, who assured me that I would be OK.

The top dentist also told me that I would not be able to keep dentures in my mouth & that they would fall out due to my dry mouth. I think that the top dentist I saw, was only out to make as much money as he could from me. He tried to tell me that he could fix some of the teeth that remained, after some were removed , but I would need to go back for maintenance every 3 months. Since then I have seen another dentist who said that not 1 of my teeth are any good.

I'll be trying any of the denture products that help keep them in, when I have them out, but for now, I would just like to hear from anyone, who has a dry mouth & dentures.

I'm in Australia, so some of the produce name here, are probably different to other countries.

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