Dental

[Rusty821]

Iv just broken my tooth and Iv read that I need to check with oncologist before I get dental work done

Has anybody been to dentist while on tagrisso ?

Thanks

[Ellejayb]

All I’d say is do check. I’m not on Tagrisso but have just finished a six month course of antibiotics for dental work that ended up as Osteonecrosis because of side effects from Denosumab. It’s all better now but with hindsight it was avoidable if I’d taken the right steps and asked the right questions at the time. All the best.

[sassassas in reply to Ellejayb]

Hi Ellejayb - just wondering what you'd have done to avoid the issues? Be good to know!Thanks,

Sarah

[Ellejayb in reply to sassassas]

Good point. To be honest, I didn’t take the warnings of side effects as seriously as I should have. I’m not sure my dentist did either. And side effects are rare. Now I know just because they’re rare, it doesn’t mean they don’t happen. I think it was compounded by the fact that the dental treatment happened during lockdown so I didn’t go for my post-dental-treatment check-up, thinking on balance that the risks of Covid were greater than the risk of something going wrong with my crown (my dentist at the time was 150 miles away so it’s not as daft as it sounds). Anyway, lessons learned!

[Ellejayb in reply to Ellejayb]

In fact, I’m not sure I even told my dentist I was on Denosumab because I didn’t think it was an issue. And when I mentioned I was due to have dental treatment to my oncology nurse, she checked with the doctor and said it should be fine. The article just posted by the Roy Castle team is very helpful. I wish I’d known all that before. In short, it was ignorance on my part!!

[Rusty821 in reply to Ellejayb]

Thanks for all the info I’ve been in touch with oncology and they’ve contacted consultant who said it’s fine 😅just need to find a dentist now as it’s a nightmare getting an appointment Teeth they are trouble coming and trouble going 🙈

[sassassas in reply to Ellejayb]

thank you! My husband has an denosumab injection every 6 weeks - no dental issues to date - there's enough to cope with without anything extra! x

[Rusty821 in reply to sassassas]

Hi yes I agreeI’ve been in touch consultant said it’s fine to have it done as on a tki not chemotherapy

[Ellejayb in reply to sassassas]

Agreed!! I had to see the dentist every four weeks for six months and that was not pleasant! Anyway, through it now!

[RoyCastleHelpline Partner Ask the Nurse Roy Castle]

Dear Rusty821

Whilst on any cancer treatment, usually it is the oncology team that arrange for any dental treatment, so please discuss this with them first.

It is the potential for any infection from dental treatment that is the concern, whilst on cancer treatment and you can look at some of the guidelines here if you wish: sps.nhs.uk/articles/how-sho...

Kind regards

The Roy Castle Support Team