Breast Cancer Community

Hello,and welcome I am a 4 will be 5 year survivor in Feb. I was dx stage 3 triple neg also had a Bi mast in 2008 and reconstruction in 2009. I too have had some dental issues very senitive teeth and gums staining of the teeth and some even chipped away on the tips and all the the front ones had to be repaired due to the damage that chemo did to them plus the antibiotics they had me on. My teeth even after being fixed still hurt and the gums some days hurt so bad that it is very hard to eat anything that is even a little on the hard or toasted side. I have a tooth paste that the dentist wrote a script for but this last time I was in he siad he could no longer write it for me. So now all I can do is use over the counter stuff that doesn't work for me. These are things that I wasn't told about before chemo but after chemo was started and I was having issues then I was told oh this can happen but should go way after chemo is done. Well it hasn't yet !!! But I look at it this way I am here and able to do the things I love with the people I love. So I grin and bare it a long with all the other things that have come up since chemo and my dx. I try and find the positive in every neg to help me get through each and everyday. I can usually find them, in this I did get them fixed and at least I can eat somethings . Plus I didn't have to get them all pulled out that was a very good thing but if I did then I would get some very nice new whiter ones now that would be the positive in that case. See you can find a pos if you really look for it just have to try hard sometimes. Hope this help you some and knowing you are not a lone sometimes helps also. Have a great day angel hugs Roberta,
P.S. I wish you all the best and that you get everything fixed and that your teeth feel better very soon.

Hi,
I am also a stg3 survivor 1yr and 10 mos. I now have been
getting some sensitive teeth and I have dry mouth from
the chemo.
CIndy

Cindy,
Thank you so much for replying, it really helps to know there is a problem out there and maybe I can do something to make a difference.
Some free advice you did not ask for!
Use a mouth moisturizer like Biotine or a store line that does the same thing. Chemo usually causes dry mouth which is hard to determine sometimes because it slips up so gradually on one that it seems normal. I am surprised that you are aware of it. Mouth moisturizers come as a mouth rinse, toothpaste, or even small pills that fit on the gum to keep your mouth moist enough that the bacteria will be washed away when you drink water. Otherwise, the bacteria hacks away at any filling areas and especially at the gum level.
Best of luck and if it is okay, I am adding your name to my prayer list, asking for your teeth and gums to heal
Sylvia

Hi Roberta,
Thank you so much for sharing this part of cancer that no one seems to be knowledgeable about, except when it is too late to at the very least alleviate but possibly to stop.
Do you know the name of the toothpaste that he prescribed? Have you searched for it on the net? If you forward the name of it to me, I might be able to find it if you cannot.
Hugs to you too!
Sylvia

Sylvia,
Hello, and thank you so much for your help and concern I didn't even think of looking on line for it and wouldn't you need a script for it. It is called Prevident 5000 plus you can only get it with a script or from your dentist if they carry it in their office. Most insurances do not cover it so it is out of pocket for me. but it works. Because sensodyne doesn't do anything for me it is like useing reg tooth paste. I have one refill left then I have nothing after that so I am using it very little at a time so it will last me for a while. then in between I do use the sensodyne as a reg toothpaste hopeing it works at least a little better then just reg old toothpaste. But I can't really tell because my teeth hurt so much all the time and my gums. I still have some of the mouth wash from chemo and use it sometimes so I can eat if my mouth is really hurting. I hope all of us fined a way for it to get better and get our tetth back to a good and healthy condition very soon. have a great day and week ahead angel hugs Roberta

Roberta,
Found Prevident 5000 Plus with no prescription required online at several Canadian pharmacies. It is an over-the-counter drug there so no prescription is needed. They can ship to the US with no problem. I found one tube for $10 but the drawback was the $10 shipping. However, you might want to get several tubes for the same shipping price.
I found it at https://www.getcanadiandrugs.com/ShippingBilling.aspx
If I have broken a rule for this discussion format, this may not reach you. I will watch to see.
Sylvia

I thought the teeth issue was from radiation.

Laramin:
No, the chemo causes dry mouth which is what allows the bacteria find a neat little crease in your teeth and settle in to stay because the mouth is too dry to wash them out.
Dry mouth is easily treated with mouth moisturizers like Biotene. They have mouth spray, mouthwash, and little pills you put in your cheek and it keeps the mout moist for hours. The mouthwash loosens the bacteria so that it washes away as well. I found others like Walgreens brand so I am sure many others got in the business too.
Give them a try. You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.
Sylvia

Sylvia,
Thank you so much I am going to check into this web page and see what kind of deals I can get like how many tubes I can get at a time for the 10 dallor shipping. I have to pay $11 now but with a script so I am willing to check it out and see what I can do because it does help out a lot. Before using it I couldn't even brush my teeth without being in really bad pain tears in my eyes pain. Now I can do that and eat and just have some pain that I can deal with. Thank you so very much for looking into that for me. It is hard for me to get time on line now with the baby and all. Plus my computer acts up on me a lot and the service goes out on me off and on right in the middle of researching something. Oh it gets me so mad when that happens !!! Have a great day and hope all your dental issues are getting better angel hugs Roberta,