Xgeva concerns about whitening my teeth
I’ve gone down the rabbit hole so many times trying to find answers on my own and then I stumbled upon this group. Maybe someone is in my situation and can help? I was diagnosed with PE+ and HER- breast cancer in 2014. I had 3 months of Adryimician/Cytoxin followed by 3 months of Taxotere. I am one of the many that my hair came back in a male patterned bald style🙄. Anyway, at the moment that is not my biggest problem. I had a double mastectomy with d-flap. I then had 36 radiation treatments.
After 8 1/2 years on Anastozole, I was told I could get off of it. I was very relieved because the hip and joint pain was horrific.
2 months later I had a bunionectomy and while I was rehabbing with PT, I began having severe pain in my groin and my hip. My PT thought it might have been from walking incorrectly for so many years so we quit the foot rehab and began to focus on the hip pain. I started using a walking stick to reduced some of the weight/pain. 2 months later I stepped wrong and jammed my leg. I fell to the ground in the worst imaginable pain. PT sent me for an MRI and this is were it begins.
Diagnosis: broken pelvis, stage 4 bone metastasis in left and right femur heads and the roof of the left acetabulum. That was last April (2024)
I’m now on monthly injections of fulvestrant and Xgeva and oral Ibrance. The Xgeva thing always made me nervous as they made me get clearance from my dentist the onset explaining that if I had any gum disease or teeth fractures it could cause necrosis of the jaw. I actually had an unnoticed fracture so my dentist banded it and capped it. It still makes me nervous.
All of this to get to my question: is it safe for me to whiten my teeth with the trays and gel? Does this weaken my teeth or put my mouth in any danger?
I fight with my lack of hair daily and now my teeth aren’t as bright. It’s hard enough living with a stage 4 diagnosis but to also be self conscious about your appearance doesn’t help! Has anyone successfully whitened their teeth while on Xgeva?
Comments
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@boneonboneinnola I'm really sorry to hear about your diagnosis and all you have been through. I don't know about whitening, but I have a very good dentist who instantly understood what a cancer diagnosis means, including the consequences of taking a bone strengthener like Xgeva or Zometa. She had all my teeth specially xrayed so that any future change could be noted. So I guess my advice is to make sure you have a really good dentist who can give you the low-down.
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Sorry to hear about the bone mets. I was on semiannual Prolia shots for osteopenia for 3 years; 2 years later developed osteoporosis so am now on semiannual Prolia 10 years-to-life. Before beginning Prolia I had thorough dental exam and cleaning every 6 months; I now see my dentist every 3 months. I was warned about ONJ should I get extractions, implants or very deep root planing. So far, so good. I also underwent Invisalign orthodontia at 68 and still wear a retainer—which keeps my teeth stable and less likely to loosen & fall out.
Whitening—even professionally under UV light—is superficial and limited to the enamel. Ask your dentist, but I doubt it would pose any ONJ risk—even though Xgeva is monthly. (Same drug, different name, different indication). FWIW, when I thought I would be getting bisphosphonate infusions (Zometa/Reclast) because my GERD precludes the oral versions (Fosamax, Boniva, etc.), the dental pre-clearance was not required. I couldn't tolerate the Zometa, so that's why I switched.
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