Hit a speed bump

[pilotofatx]

Well... Today I went to the dentist to get a cleaning done, I was talking to my dental hygienist who has been my hygienist ever since I was a little kid. She served in the Navy, and just got out about 2 years ago. She was telling me when you get to boot camp you will have a dental examination, and if you have any wisdom teeth, they will be pulled.

A little note on the wisdom teeth being pulled at boot camp.. She told me that if you do have wisdom teeth, they will line you up assembly line style, and just yank them out. It is not a very private thing. The bad thing she said is you will still have to be doing PT, and have no recovery time like you would at home.

Now this is not something that I want. I would rather have a doctor here pull them out. I have a rather high tolerance for pain, but I would still like to be put to sleep, have them yanked out, and then have the couple of days after to recover, and load up on my pain medications.

I informed my recruiter of this situation today, and they are not very happy with the fact that I have to get them pulled this close to my ship date. In fact my recruiter told me just to wait and have them pulled at boot camp since I am leaving on 8 Sep. I told him that I would rather have them pulled here so I could get all of the good medications that come along with it.

Now for my question. Ultimately it is my choice whether to have them pulled here or at boot camp. I simply choose to have them pulled here for the fact that I want all of the medications, and have it done in private, not around 100 other recruits. Can my recruiters push my ship date a couple of days, or do they just not want to do this? Is the procedure the same at boot camp, or do they really just yank them out and move on to the next recruit?

HELP!!!!!!!!

[nickhallnavy]

you have 2 days of SIQ time to recover.

still, i would get them done as a civilian!

[Retired Navy Chief]

They are NOT going to pull them if they don't need pulled !!! Unless they show signs of becoming impacted or if they are growing at an odd angle ... they can stay in your mouth.

It is "preferred" to have them removed at that time because there is the off chance that they will give you problems when you are out at sea (which would be a bad thing). Why they don't just yank out ALL of our teeth if that is the case, I have no idea :biggrin:.

I didn't get mine yanked out until probably the 10 year mark. That was after they showed me the x-rays ... they were growing towards the back of my head :huh:. It really wasn't a big deal ... and mine were really stuck in there.



If I were to give advice.... I would say wait until you get to bootcamp. They will give you all the drugs you need (maybe not all that you want). It will be 100% paid for too. You're gonnal be working for that benefit ... USE IT !!

Your recruiter is not happy about it because there is always the chance of post-surgical infection and complications that could affect your shipping to bootcamp on time. If those things were to happen while you are in bootcamp ... you have to lie in bed for a couple days, big deal ... you are already there. It's their problem then, Savvy ?? (you get paid the same no matter what !!)

Just my .02 worth for the day.

Cheers,
PISTOL

[pilotofatx]

Your recruiter is not happy about it because there is always the chance of post-surgical infection and complications that could affect your shipping to bootcamp on time. If those things were to happen while you are in bootcamp ... you have to lie in bed for a couple days, big deal ... you are already there. It's their problem then, Savvy ?? (you get paid the same no matter what !!)



If you where to have the surgery done on the civilian side, it seems like you have a better chance of recovering better, and less of a chance of getting the post-surgical infection. To me, if you were to have it done at boot camp, the probability of getting an infection seems far higher; maybe that’s just my personal opinion. The way I look at it is you just don't have the necessities that you have available to you at home. Although it is the military, and they are not going to baby you. (I would rather take advantage of getting babied one more time). To me it just seems a little bit more risky and skeptical getting it done at boot camp. I remember my sister having to constantly clean out her mouth after every time she ate something, and the pain she experienced drinking out of a straw for the couple of days following her surgery.


Two days of recovery time seems like enough time for the pain to go away. My sister had her wisdom teeth pulled and she said it hurt for about three days after the surgery, and then for about five days it was swollen. I remember her looking like a chipmunk, and me even making fun of her for looking like one :)


I have a consult with a surgeon on Thursday, so we will see what they have to say.

[ComaWhite]

Well I don't mean to high jack it or anything. But kinda of the same problem I'm having. Well on my teeth. I have tooth in the front that is semi black because of dead nerves or w/e. I'm ashamed of it. The I have two bad teeth barely gives me any problems except when I eat something cold. And another one getting that way. Will they give me fake teeth that are permnant in place of those? Or not.

[pilotofatx]

Well I don't mean to high jack it or anything. But kinda of the same problem I'm having. Well on my teeth. I have tooth in the front that is semi black because of dead nerves or w/e. I'm ashamed of it. The I have two bad teeth barely gives me any problems except when I eat something cold. And another one getting that way. Will they give me fake teeth that are permnant in place of those? Or not.

It sounds like you have a couple of cavities that need to get taken care of. I had the same problem when I ate something cold, or when I would inhale and have air hit my teeth. I ended up having 3 cavities in between my teeth. So they had to drill between my teeth and they essentially made 3 of my teeth one big tooth. Pretty cool if you ask me.

I am assuming you don't have dental insurance? If you do, might I suggest getting this taken care of before you leave for boot camp. Or if you don't well, they will probably just give you a couple of fillings and tell you to move on.

As far as the tooth that has some dead nerves, that might be yanked and a fake tooth in place. But don't take my word on that, I am no dentist.

[RightHereWaiting]

Well this is all good and dandy to know!! I guess I'll be having mother x-ray my teeth the next chance I get to go down there! She wants to clean them anyway. I think I only have 2 wisdom teeth, anyway. [Yet I scored an 80 on my ASVAB, hmmm... ;p (I know, I shouldn't do late-night humor)]

[pilotofatx]

haha late night humor is what keeps me being a mellow insomniac. its only what 12 or something in AZ?

[Retired Navy Chief]

To me, if you were to have it done at boot camp, the probability of getting an infection seems far higher; maybe that’s just my personal opinion. The way I look at it is you just don't have the necessities that you have available to you at home. Although it is the military, and they are not going to baby you. (I would rather take advantage of getting babied one more time). To me it just seems a little bit more risky and skeptical getting it done at boot camp.


You do know that you have joined the most technologically advanced militarty in the world, right ?? It sounds like you are picturing bootcamp to be held in canvas tents out in the middle of the desert somewhere ...:shakeheadno:.

The dentists and dental techs that would be working on you are every bit (if not more) highly trained than their civilian counterparts. The procedures that are used are the same .... not emergency battle casualty style like you see in the movies.

Many of the mordern medical procedures and drugs used in America today came from the military .... primarily from Navy Medical / Dental. Relax ... you'll be fine.

Cheers,
PISTOL

[SeminoleRob]

Do they just have to be pulled or cut out?

[pilotofatx]

Cut out.

[poddoc]

I am a physician at the VAMC in Phoenix, AZ. we get criticized for not providing good care, but what it is really is that there are a lot of veterans all needing/wanting to use the VA services. The doctors are not less trained in the federal world (in fact I see things that civilian doctors only read about), but they are heavily worked. My husband had his wisdom teeth out before he joined the Navy (but we didn't know that he was joining at that time). The only thing my husband said about people who had their wisdom teeth pulled were that they were miserable just like he was after he had his pulled (but it might have also been that they were in Illinois during December and January). I understand not wanting to have a painful procedure done during boot camp, but I don't think you should be concerned with the competency of the doctors.

[ComaWhite]

Did I mention, I'm scared of the dentist :bigemo54:

[SeminoleRob]

I got lucky, they just had to pull mine. They did mine right there in the office. I got it done on a Friday and was back to work on Monday. My wife had to have two of hers cut out. That is surgery and requires a least a few days recovery. If they can get you in quickly, I would get it done beforehand. One less headache and you can recover at home, not boot camp.

PS:Military doctors are top notch and they treat you like a person, not "how are you going to pay"

[KYmom]

If you have to have your wisdom teeth taken out in boot. They will probably be pulled if possible.
They only cut when necesaary.
Not everybody's wisdom teeth will be taken out in boot. Some people have plenty of room for them to grow in with no problems. For those that show up in x-rays as presenting a problem possibly soon they will take care of.
They have been know to let some cases go through to be taken care of while attending A school instead of doing it during boot. Most people who join are in the age range of where wisdom teeth give people problems in or out of boot.

[matt's mom]

Not to agrue with anyone but my experience with a navy Dentist was terrible.
My civilain endotontics had a Navy dentist come in once a week. My last root canal i got him. Thought to myself at the time cool when I mention my son was in the Navy he coiuld care less.
The root canal was the worse one I ever had done. He made the whole so big he cracked the tooth and ended up having to have it pulled and a implant put it.
He is now retired and I am sure everyone isnt like him. But then in the civial worldl ther are also bad dentist

[RightHereWaiting]

If you have to have your wisdom teeth taken out in boot. They will probably be pulled if possible.
They only cut when necesaary.
Not everybody's wisdom teeth will be taken out in boot. Some people have plenty of room for them to grow in with no problems. For those that show up in x-rays as presenting a problem possibly soon they will take care of.
They have been know to let some cases go through to be taken care of while attending A school instead of doing it during boot. Most people who join are in the age range of where wisdom teeth give people problems in or out of boot.

I like this news. I'll have to have mother make sure mine are good to go. I imagine they will be since I never got some of my other molars in. :biggrin:

[pilotofatx]

Well, I have surgery tomorrow at 11:30 to get the top two wisdom teeth removed. Doc was actually a retired doctor from the USN.

talk less, eat more. i have 1hr and 40 min to eat as much as i can. :)

[Kristie]

Jennifer had hers removed during BC but Brandon did not....

[MacSteve]

hmm. my wisdom teeth havent even broken surface on my gums, nor am i experiencing any pain... i have a feeling my teeth will not be harmed... ( also never had to have braces, i just naturally have good teeth :))