What's going on with my teeth????

Options
LRM216
LRM216 Member Posts: 2,115
edited June 2014 in Stage I Breast Cancer

Don't even know where to post this.  I am 9 months out of AC and T.  All of a sudden every damn crown in my mouth is falling apart and falling completely out.  I now have 4 in the back - two on each side that have completely fallen out - some even with the post still in them.  Has anyone had this happen?  I just had one replaced about a month ago and even with dental insurance, it's still expensive ($730 out of pocket for the replaced one) and now 3 more have done the same thing.  Is this from the chemo - anyone else have this happen????  I am going crazy.  They all have been root canaled prior to the crowns being placed so I am not in pain, but the cost is beginning to scare the heck out of me and the reason why it's happening is a bit daunting as well.  None of the crowns were "new" but at least 5 years old.  Any one else??????

Linda

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • BarbaraJo50
    BarbaraJo50 Member Posts: 108
    edited June 2010

    Linda,

    Thanks for posting this. I noticed a change with my teeth BEFORE I knew about the cancer. My front teeth started moving apart! I never had a space there before...now I do. I had AC and taxol too; but like I said, my teeth problems showed up just before I was diagnosed.

    Best to you,

    Barbara Jo

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • LRM216
    LRM216 Member Posts: 2,115
    edited June 2010

    Thanks Barbara - and good luck to you too!  This has been horrible.  I am seeing the dentist on Weds (earliest appt I could get) to begin the restoring of all these dang crowns!  Probably have to second mortgage my house to pay for it!!!  Ugh!  When I asked the asst. if she ever heard of this after chemo, she said most definitely.  It dries the tissues, they shrink, the caps loosen and eventually just fall off.  I do remember having tremendous pain in my jaws - felt as if the teeth were going to come out - during my taxotere.  It all makes sense especially since they are only the crowns that are falling out - all my natural teeth are fine (hope I didn't just jinx myself!),  Good luck with yours too.

    Linda

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • sewescape
    sewescape Member Posts: 65
    edited June 2010

    I had every tooth under my bridge basically disinigrate, and several other dental issues with crowns after chemo. I ended up with a partial following dental surgery to remove the remain bits in my gums, had two other teeth pulled and 2 crowns redone that they were able to save.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • vbgranny
    vbgranny Member Posts: 4
    edited June 2010

    I lost one crown and wound up having a bone graft to try to save a bridge on the other side of my mouth after finishing chemo.    I'm now back on chemo (lucky me) and concerned about my teeth.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • LRM216
    LRM216 Member Posts: 2,115
    edited June 2010

    Jeez - I'm so sorry for ALL of us with tooth probs.  Guess chemo is just a gift that keeps on giving, huh?  Thanks for all the reponses, at least I'm not alone. 

    Linda

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • oddray
    oddray Member Posts: 1
    edited June 2010
    hi! i just found this site today!  a little over a year after my diagnosis and 5 months after my last treatment!  i am 'on the other side' with no reason whatsoever to think otherwise, but what made me decide to sign up and join in discussions was LRM's post regarding teeth!!  i've never heard of this being common before and am intrigued.  my husband and i are trying to live on S.S. which is well below what they term the poverty line, so getting medicaid was no problem, but they stopped covering dentistry the month i was diagnosed!!  so now i'm facing thousands of dollars of dental work that i'm now seeing as directly related - tho admittedly the problems started before chemo.  chemo as we all know attacks the 'week vulnerable places in our bodies'  (i also had ac and t) so it does make sense that it contributes to the deterieration factor, eh?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • annettie
    annettie Member Posts: 50
    edited June 2010

    I have bonding on some of my teeth and it has been chipping off. I never related it to the chemo but now I wonder after reading this. It has been nothing major, yet. I'm just being careful now as to what I bite into.

    nettie

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • BarbaraJo50
    BarbaraJo50 Member Posts: 108
    edited June 2010

    Linda,

    Seems like we are not the only ones with this problem. You made me smile when you said, "chemo, the gift that keeps on giving." I understand...the teeth issue, neuropathy, chemo brain.

    vbgranny and oddray thanks for joining us with your first posts! Welcome. I've only a few posts myself, but do enjoy reading and learning on this site.

    Best to all,

    BarbaraJo

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • DFC1994
    DFC1994 Member Posts: 163
    edited June 2010

    I did not have chemo BUT have had horrible dental problems since my breast cancer diagnosis.

    I have one bridge that has fell out 2 times and been reglued and now it has to be replaced.Had a tooth break off(almost)half last Saturday. Went to the dentist Tuesday to have it patched temporary until we come back from vacation. then I have to have it crowned.I have a fortune in my mouth and now here this one tooth out of pocket my part is almost 500.Insurance pays the rest.

    Not sure why this is happening now but have had my bridges an dcrowns a long time and after BC they are starting to fall apart. I have noticed alos some of my teeth seem to be tighter together.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Susie123
    Susie123 Member Posts: 804
    edited June 2010

    That's strange. I didn't have chemo either, but just had a cap fall out. I took it to my dentist and he put it back in. As long as you don't wait to long (the teeth shift with time) they can put the same cap back in. That sure saved a bundle because caps are high!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • gale1525
    gale1525 Member Posts: 232
    edited June 2010

    My onc said that chemo can effect your teeth, I had a tooth crack then a crown put on and a cavity.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • LRM216
    LRM216 Member Posts: 2,115
    edited June 2010

    It's just so weird that only the crowned teeth are the ones that have fallen out, and not during chemo, but here I am 10 months out of chemo (AC & T) and I seem to be spitting out crowned teeth daily!  I see the dentist this coming Wednesday, and can only imagine what my bill will be!!  I am wondering if they will re-crown the involved teeth, or whether I will need to have the "stubs" of teeth that are now exposed (all had been root-canaled prior to the crowns, thank goodness) pulled by an oral surgeon (God, more money!) and than a bridge made, as two crowned teeth in the exact same spots on both the upper right and left sides of eye teeth are the ones involved.  This is just so freaky, not to mention I can't chew food too well at the moment either!  Will let you know what he says.

    Linda 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • squidwitch42
    squidwitch42 Member Posts: 2,228
    edited June 2010
    • vbgranny and oddray, welcome to the boards...

    oddray, great pic you are are rockin there :)

    I had dental issues prior to my diagnosis, and had several cavities filled just as I was being diagnosed..excessive bleeding gums as well.  I had a very clean dental record before that.

    I am wondering if anyone has any advice regarding insurance payments that are a running theme so far? 

    dental health is so important to us all, even more so with compromised immune systems.  I would hope this would be an arguement to help in reimbursement....oral surgery coverage?

    hoping someone has some sage advice....

    In DC there are some resources for residents, including a dental school at one of our Universites.

    traci

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • thegoodfight
    thegoodfight Member Posts: 560
    edited June 2010

    Just my two cents......................I found I was grinding my teeth very badly during the night.  Seems I had some control of my emotions during the day, but of course once asleep all heck broke loose.  The grinding was causing havoc on my teeth, loosening them, especially if they had prior problems like root canals.  I had a custom mouth guard made and it is helping  the situation although the guard itself takes some getting used to.  In the beginning I would pull it out during the night.  Now sometimes it still wakes me  when I am grinding, but I do my best to leave it in.

    The reason I mention this is when I first finished chemo I actually thought my lower teeth were disentegrating.  The tops of the center bottom got a rough texture and I thought there were small holes.  When I went to the dentist he said it was from extreme grinding and I had worn them down.  I always had a problem with grinding but nothing like this.  He was able to repair my teeth with bonding, but that is when I had the guard made.

    See what your dentist says.

    Caren

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • terrij152
    terrij152 Member Posts: 530
    edited June 2010

    I too am having dental problems after my bc diagnosis.  I did not have chemo, but had 3 surgeries in the past year, along with tamoxifen.  I had a tooth that abscessed, which had a crown on it, on Memorial day, a year after my dx, and when I went to the dentist for that he also said my 4 wisdom teeth now need to come out.  Saw an oral surgeon for a consult and now I'm having 5 teeth pulled on July 10th, yay me!  Glad to see I'm not alone!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories