Will this lose me my appointment?

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nr116

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I have received an appointment to USNA and am getting a biteguard to wear at night to move my jaw back to a more comfortable position (bad location has been effecting ears as well so that will fix too). I heard any dental/orthodontic treatment is automatically disqualifying, I will however be recovered before I-day. Should I just keep it to myself because of this?
 
I'm no DoDMERB expert but I doubt that a bite guard itself would be high on the DQ list. What's important is what you're being treated for. Bite guards are used for many things... grinding of teeth, snoring, and I'm sure many others. What puzzles me is why the condition is (apparently) temporary. It's not clear from your post what you're being treated for, but there is certainly no reason you should disclose it here.

I believe your appointment materials says you need to report any health changes to DoDMERB. I would recommend doing that because you don't want it to be discovered on I Day and turned back. If you do report it, be sure you've got the condition/diagnosis straight. I would also accompany it with whatever records your doc thinks would be useful, especially the recovery prognosis. You don't want to add any unnecessary confusion to the matter.

YMMV. Good luck!
 
If I remember correctly, I don't think orthodontia/wisdom teeth surgery has to be reported to DoDMERB if you will be finished with treatment/recovery by I-day. Its a temporary change in dental status not a permanent change in your medical status. BUT IF YOU REPORT IT DO THIS FIRST: If you go to DODMERBs website, under forms, there is an Orthodontic Questionaire. Have your Dentist/Ortho fill it out and indicate that ALL treatment will be completed before I-day. They have to fill in a completion date. Send this to DODMERB with your notification of change in medical status.

Current Ortho treatment (ie braces when you report) is disqualifying, but past orthodontic treatment is not disqualifying. This is coming from a mom with 3 candidates that had braces until February or later of their senior year. They were all Qualified.
 
So if the treatment, the mouthguard, is almost complete (so that most symptoms are gone but not all), is it best to just stop wearing it and once you sign in on I-day or a few weeks after ask them about it?
 
This is how I would advise my kid on this situation... If the bite guard is not needed after I day as prescribed by the Dr. then I would not mention it. leave it at home and forget about it. If your Dr. says you will need the bite guard during your time at the Academy then you need to tell them about it as soon as possible. Why call attention to a condition that will have run its course prior to I day?
 
Good point MDDADD! I should have stressed my comment "they have to fill in a completion date" more or worded it better. A statement simply saying it would be completed by Iday is not sufficient. DD(candidate) is still in braces. They should come off at the end of Feb or beginning of March. Ortho put March 30 on form and it was good to go, no DQ. I had been thru this with my other two so I had form signed and turned in to Doc at initial DODMERB so we didn't have to go thru remedial.
 
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