Recieved appointment, dental qualifications?

rocktheblackgold

5-Year Member
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Dec 1, 2009
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I recently recieved an appointment to USMA and am wondering about the further medical and dental qualifications that you have to have prior to or during CBT, in particular the dental.

i remember seeing something about this elsewhere in the forum but i cant seem to find it...

I have an underbite that my orthodontist recommended me to get corrective surgery for. I opted not to mainly because of the cost and didnt want the recovery time to affect my sports season. Is it likely that USMA will rescind their appointment because of dental disqualifications / how strict is DENTAC? Also, if they say there is a disqualifying problem, do they give you an opportunity to get dental problems fixed?

Do many people get sent away because of this? If so, what happens to the cadet candidate? They will have already accepted admission and said no thanks to any other colleges, or ROTC scholarships for that matter, they applied to as a back up. I heard that West Point will pay for you to attend a military college and re-apply the next year. is this true?

Im sure other people will have similar questions as acceptance season rolls around so i hope my questions will help them too!
 
Your "underbite" is referred to as a class III malocclusion. It is best treated as a young child. If treatment is not started early enough, surgery becomes the only option for correction. That being said, if the bite is functional (meaning you can eat fine and you have no TMJ issues) you should be fine. Cost to correct this issue is expensive in the civilian world. Recovery time is also extensive. The Army performs these corrective surgeries at no cost to its service members. Biggest issue will be your ability to be out of commission for recovery. In short, it's too late to do anything now. You should be fine for USMA. If you would like it corrected, no better place than the ARMY (they have much more experience than a lot of surgeons because cost is not a consideration for their patients). I am a former Army dentist and hope this info helps.
 
good info, ironcamper.

Lots of cadets at West Point get braces. I know a parent whose cadet got extensive jaw surgery and braces to correct his bite and teeth. Take comfort in knowing that your teeth will be taken care of at West Point.
My understanding is that on R-Day they are most concerned with acute dental problems from decay. They don't want a dental issue interfering with Beast. Your concerns, of course should be addressed to your Regional commander.
Good luck to you.
 
On the dental topic......

I read on a different thread that having your wisdom teeth out is a must before you show up on R-day. Is this true for USMA? I think I read it on the Merchant Marine forum. Can anyone confirm?
 
off the candidate portal denal FAQ:

"Is it true that all wisdom teeth have to be extracted?
No, not all wisdom teeth must be extracted. But, statistically, we know that a large percentage of patients do not have the space in their jaws to accommodate wisdom teeth in a healthy manner. We do have an oral surgeon on the DENTAC staff, but one surgeon would never be able to remove all the wisdom teeth that needed to be extracted for over 4,000 cadets. If your dentist advises you to have your wisdom teeth removed, we very strongly encourage you to have the procedure completed before you report to West Point. In our experience, the adjustment to West Point- including military training, academics, and the multitude of other cadet activities- results in a lower personal priority being placed on health concerns, until they become an emergency. Treatment and recovery at home would be much easier without all the other demands on a cadet's time, and remove one more concern that the new cadet will have to deal with during the adjustment."

Its better to get it out of the way. Make sure you allow enough time before R-Day so you can recover in case there are any complications (i.e. dry sockets)
 
Does anyone have a range of how long it takes to recover from wisdom teeth removal? My dentist says they can't take mine out until my senior year.
 
Every case is different but as a rule you would be able to expect the following:
Two days R and R (I gave my soldiers 48 hrs. quarters)
Five to seven days light activity (I gave soldiers light duty for one week)
In two weeks the only lingering issue will be the possibility of the sockets collecting debris.
These are generalized time frames. If there are complications (ie. infection), times could be greater. The above post from West Point information is great advice. I agree with everything it said. My daughter reports for I-day at USNA on 1 JUL. I took out her wisdom teeth in August. She wanted it taken care of prior to the rigors of the academy. I couldn't have agreed more! They don't grow back. Issue resolved.:thumb:
 
Your "underbite" is referred to as a class III malocclusion. It is best treated as a young child. If treatment is not started early enough, surgery becomes the only option for correction. That being said, if the bite is functional (meaning you can eat fine and you have no TMJ issues) you should be fine. Cost to correct this issue is expensive in the civilian world. Recovery time is also extensive. The Army performs these corrective surgeries at no cost to its service members. Biggest issue will be your ability to be out of commission for recovery. In short, it's too late to do anything now. You should be fine for USMA. If you would like it corrected, no better place than the ARMY (they have much more experience than a lot of surgeons because cost is not a consideration for their patients). I am a former Army dentist and hope this info helps.

thanks for the information! i have no problems eating and no TMJ issues and im sure it will not interfere with CBT, so hopefully this will not affect becoming a cadet at USMA.

just_a_mom: thank you and i will be contacting my regional commander.

and just in case and out of curiousity, does anyone know "what happens to the cadet candidate? They will have already accepted admission and said no thanks to any other colleges, or ROTC scholarships for that matter, they applied to as a back up. I heard that the army will pay for you to attend a military college and re-apply the next year. is this true?"
 
If U have dental questions PRIOR to selection/offer of appointemnt/admissions, U may send these, along with your full name and last 4 SSN to me at Larry.Mullen@dodmerb.tma.osd.mil. I can assist U better from there:thumb:
 
Mr Mullen - please explain DoDMERB's role in dental as Candidates are not required to have a dental exam through DoDMERB.

rocktheblackandgold - later on you will get a dental form in your packet. Before you report you are to have a dental exam and panoramic x-rays (IIRC). This is not handled through DoDMERB - strictly between you and admissions.
 
Just a Mom - What U stated in your posts is correct. hat said, DoDMERB does have a repsonsibility to ensure the dental accession standards are applied as presented by history or exam.:thumb:
 
i have already been accepted to USMA therefore am already Dodmerb Q'ed

hopefully the packet comes in the mail soon and clears things up!

thanks for everyone's help!
 
is a father who a dentist allowed to there childs eval or does it have to be another dentist?
 
What about cavities? I had a bunch of them, all filled, and they don't give me any pain or trouble.
 
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