Help My Dad (Ray) Smile Again!!
Donation protected
My dad is a disabled vet and single father who due to neck and throat cancer and treatment has suffered permanent and debilitating damage to his teeth and mouth. The damage has progressed to the point that now besides just cosmetic issues, they pose serious health risks. He has been denied 3 times with two different health carriers, both claiming that it's considered a dental issue and not a medical issue, even though it was caused by a medical procedure.
In 2010 my dad was diagnosed with Neck & Throat Cancer (squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)). Being a single dad and the majority of us kids still in the house, he felt like he had no choice but to take it head on. After 6 hours of surgery and 7 weeks of concurrent radiation & chemo treatments, he finished his initial treatments and subsequent scans no longer showed any cancer. Seven years later he is still cancer free!!
But, there are long-lasting side effects which have affected both his teeth and mouth:
--Nerve damage in both his mouth and throat.
--Change in taste. (He got his taste back, but any acidic or even slightly spicy things are painful, like ketchup and toothpaste.)
--Fibrosis (growth of fibrous tissue) in both his mouth and neck.
--Xerostomia (salivary gland dysfunction) - He produces a severely reduced amount of saliva, which in turn causes bacteria and acid levels to rise within his mouth. This has contributed to the acid erosion of his teeth’s enamel, and combined with the radiation and chemo has resulted in rampant tooth decay.
These side effects have been painful for him and have made it difficult for him to eat, talk, swallow and speak. He has to constantly drink to keep his mouth moist. Although a very upbeat person and people used to notice and make comments about the way he was always smiling, it's something that I rarely see him doing anymore due to being so self-conscious about how he looks.
Besides not being able to eat normally and at a normal pace (He feels bad when we go out to eat because it takes him a while and he ends up bringing a lot of food home), I know that it has affected both his career and social life due to the way he looks. His friends and co-workers have all been very supportive, but I can tell it still has an effect on them.
His teeth have deteriorated to the point that he is now missing more than 70% of his teeth. The hours that he has spent in the dentist chair in an attempt to restore some resemblance of his former smile has all been just a temporary fix.
My dad is about to lose the last of his front facing teeth. He has recently tried to get them fixed, but due to the damage and rate of decay, He was told that any work that he would get on the remaining teeth would be temporary. The dentist have all suggested that his best solution would be to remove all remaining teeth and get both upper and lower implants. There are several ways of doing this, but they are all expensive.
Dentures would be another solution for him, but even under normal conditions the jaw loses bone mass when no teeth are attached, giving that sunken in look over time. With his reduced blood flow, the decay of bone mass would happen at a much more rapid pace as well.
Also because of this, none of the specialists were even willing to perform the operation unless he underwent hyperbaric chamber treatments. These treatments involve being locked in a glass tube that is pressurized with pure oxygen to force blood flow to his jaw and the creation of new blood vessels. This treatment in itself is not cheap, and he has paid and gone through this every day for a month and a half so far.
He believes in helping others as much as he can and has been a huge campaigner and volunteer for many different children's charities. This has been the reason why he has such a hard time asking others for help when he believes that there are kids that need help and deserve it more than he does. But unfortunately, with the way he looks, it's even hindering his ability to raise money for other charities because of first impressions and due to the damage, he has sustained to his teeth and ultimately, his self-esteem. So, in an attempt to help my dad, I am asking for help.
I know that all he wants to do again is just be able to eat normally, and more than anything we all just want to see him smile again!! Thank you for your consideration and support in helping our more than deserving Dad, to smile again!
A few day after surgery removing 21 lymph nodes and part of the back of his tongue and tonsils.
What's left of his front teeth
Hyberbaric Treatments to force more oxygen to his jaw.
Our Mother's Day present to him, didnt really think he would wear it... lol
All of us kids...
My first niece (his grand daughter!)
Him being screwy as normal...
In 2010 my dad was diagnosed with Neck & Throat Cancer (squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)). Being a single dad and the majority of us kids still in the house, he felt like he had no choice but to take it head on. After 6 hours of surgery and 7 weeks of concurrent radiation & chemo treatments, he finished his initial treatments and subsequent scans no longer showed any cancer. Seven years later he is still cancer free!!
But, there are long-lasting side effects which have affected both his teeth and mouth:
--Nerve damage in both his mouth and throat.
--Change in taste. (He got his taste back, but any acidic or even slightly spicy things are painful, like ketchup and toothpaste.)
--Fibrosis (growth of fibrous tissue) in both his mouth and neck.
--Xerostomia (salivary gland dysfunction) - He produces a severely reduced amount of saliva, which in turn causes bacteria and acid levels to rise within his mouth. This has contributed to the acid erosion of his teeth’s enamel, and combined with the radiation and chemo has resulted in rampant tooth decay.
These side effects have been painful for him and have made it difficult for him to eat, talk, swallow and speak. He has to constantly drink to keep his mouth moist. Although a very upbeat person and people used to notice and make comments about the way he was always smiling, it's something that I rarely see him doing anymore due to being so self-conscious about how he looks.
Besides not being able to eat normally and at a normal pace (He feels bad when we go out to eat because it takes him a while and he ends up bringing a lot of food home), I know that it has affected both his career and social life due to the way he looks. His friends and co-workers have all been very supportive, but I can tell it still has an effect on them.
His teeth have deteriorated to the point that he is now missing more than 70% of his teeth. The hours that he has spent in the dentist chair in an attempt to restore some resemblance of his former smile has all been just a temporary fix.
My dad is about to lose the last of his front facing teeth. He has recently tried to get them fixed, but due to the damage and rate of decay, He was told that any work that he would get on the remaining teeth would be temporary. The dentist have all suggested that his best solution would be to remove all remaining teeth and get both upper and lower implants. There are several ways of doing this, but they are all expensive.
Dentures would be another solution for him, but even under normal conditions the jaw loses bone mass when no teeth are attached, giving that sunken in look over time. With his reduced blood flow, the decay of bone mass would happen at a much more rapid pace as well.
Also because of this, none of the specialists were even willing to perform the operation unless he underwent hyperbaric chamber treatments. These treatments involve being locked in a glass tube that is pressurized with pure oxygen to force blood flow to his jaw and the creation of new blood vessels. This treatment in itself is not cheap, and he has paid and gone through this every day for a month and a half so far.
He believes in helping others as much as he can and has been a huge campaigner and volunteer for many different children's charities. This has been the reason why he has such a hard time asking others for help when he believes that there are kids that need help and deserve it more than he does. But unfortunately, with the way he looks, it's even hindering his ability to raise money for other charities because of first impressions and due to the damage, he has sustained to his teeth and ultimately, his self-esteem. So, in an attempt to help my dad, I am asking for help.
I know that all he wants to do again is just be able to eat normally, and more than anything we all just want to see him smile again!! Thank you for your consideration and support in helping our more than deserving Dad, to smile again!
A few day after surgery removing 21 lymph nodes and part of the back of his tongue and tonsils.
What's left of his front teethHyberbaric Treatments to force more oxygen to his jaw.Our Mother's Day present to him, didnt really think he would wear it... lol
All of us kids...
My first niece (his grand daughter!)
Him being screwy as normal...
Organizer
Alexis Paige Henson
Organizer
Gig Harbor, WA
