If At All Possible

If at all possible, you should really try to avoid getting radiation to the side of your head, including your mouth. Otherwise, the following scenario could possibly, maybe, perhaps, conceivably, arguably, actually occur:

You could go to the dentist for a cleaning.

At which point they discover you have a cavity.

At which point you make an appointment to return the following day to have the cavity filled.

At which point they discover you actually have FOUR cavities.

At which point, they discover one of the cavities is so bad you need a root canal.

At which point, they refer you to a civilian dentist for a root canal the next day.

At which point, the civilian dentist realizes that the tooth cannot be accessed like normal for a root canal, due to the abutment you still have screwed in your mouth from your previous surgery.

At which point, they will decide the abutment must be taken out temporarily in order to do the root canal.

At which point, they will try to call your oral surgeon in Augusta to ask what kind of special screw is needed to remove and replace the abutment.

At which point, you will find out your oral surgeon is on leave.

At which point, your root-canal-dentist-guy will confer with your oral surgeon’s superior officer, and make the pronouncement that the cavity is way, way, way, way, way, and I mean in a BIG way, way below the gum line.

At which point these two gentlemen will decide, given your history, that it is best if the tooth, and the tooth next to it, also sporting a monster cavity, are pulled, rather than repaired.

At which point they will remember that you have had radiation to the bones on that side of your mouth. {Radiation which is pretty much the catalyst for these problems since they told you it would weaken your teeth, hence all the cavities in a person who prior to the radiation had only had four cavities his entire life, and in the year and a half SINCE the radiation, has had TWELVE. Radiation will also destroy your salivary capacity, which although none of us like drooling on our pillow while we sleep, did you know spit is actually very healthy for your mouth, and keeps your teeth in good shape, and enables you to actually chew stuff and swallow it …. Important stuff, like food that is not bananas or yogurt or oatmeal, and without it, without SPIT, you’re in a world of hurt. Although at least the bright side is you no longer accidentally gleek people.}

At which point someone will remember that oxygen therapy is needed when pulling teeth out of an irradiated head.

So see?

If at all possible, avoid radiation. Otherwise, you could go to the dentist for a cleaning, and wind up in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber.

But hey, remember that one time you went to the dentist for a cleaning and they found cancer?

Yeah, this is still way better.