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I have been 10 months on letrozole , just got back from my dental visit and I have a cavity. I will need at least $1700 of dental work. I am very particular about dental hygiene brushing and flossing after meals daily. I havent had a cavity since 1983.
My dentist says that its not uncommon for tooth decay to occur when taking anti cancer medications.
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Members confirmed that tooth decay and gum problems are very real and frustrating side effects of aromatase inhibitors and chemotherapy, with... Read more
Absolutely!! I have been on 3 different AI's and my teeth have now shifted. My bottom teeth are completely crooked and I developed an abscess under one of my bottom molars and had to have it pulled. I have 2 crowns on my upper front teeth (not due to the cancer) and if they shift, I will most likely have to get new ones.
Thank you all for your responses. Now I understand why some women quit AI meds. I will contonue to dealwith the effects as best as I can.
AIs are supposed to be hard on the teeth and gums. Chemo can also do a lot of damage. I had 5 teeth break the 1st time I had chemo. I got a crown and root canal for the 1st one, but couldn't/can't afford to fix the other 4. The 2nd time I had chemo I lost 4 more teeth. I've lost a couple more since starting AI and my gums are now receding. At this point I only have 6 molars left, 3 of which are crowns. They want me to pull all the broken teeth and because numbing agents barely work on me and I'm on some strong opiates they want me to have this done at the hospital under twilight anesthesia. Medicare might cover the hospital and anesthesia part, but I could never afford to pay the dentist. I have 8 that would need to be pulled, one might be able to get a crown, and one with a cavity. I also really miss eating nuts and crunchy foods.
@A MyBCTeam Member and @A MyBCTeam Member - Why is it that a drug given to combat one problem leads to another different problem that needs another drug? Many post menopausal women who were given anastrozole or other aromatase inhibitors had to also take Alendronic Acid because the anti-oestrogen drugs were thinning and weakening their bones. Alendronic Acid can, in rare cases, cause necrosis of the Jaw bone. The domino effect reminds me of an old song by Flanders and Swann called "It all makes work for the working man to do".
Hello Julia Ashfield. I only can say that medicine affects multiple systems in the body. Drugs travel through the whole body, not just the sick organ or area.😊👍🌹
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