Wisdom Teeth

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nurseypoo

nurseypoo

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Okay. Boy has to have his out. He has an appointment and has copies of the letter from his dentist along with the way cool copies of the x-rays they printed onto the letter (I love technology!).

Anyway, does he need another letter from the oral surgeon stating that he needs these out, too, or that he has taken these out (of course, after he does). What do I send to dodmerb?

:scratch:
 
As long as there are no complications with the wisdom teeth extraction there is no need to forward any information to DoDMERB. The academy will request panorex and bite wing dental x-rays once the applicant has been accepted to the academy. If those have already been sent in prior to the wisdom teeth extraction then I would have new ones taken and sent to the academy.

Now if your son has any complications, infection, etc, then I would notify DoDMERB of what is going on.
 
They did bite wings, but no panorex.

The way it came up is that they are coming in and he's having pain/problems with them. X-rays (bite wings) were taken and they definitely need to come out.

Should we call dodmerb or academy for permission, then?
 
No need to request permission. All the academies would prefer it if all applicants had thier wisdom teeth removed prior to showing up. But if your son is having difficulty with them, they really need to come out.
 
If everything is normal there is no need to send anything to DoDMERB. If he has complications then send all the dental records concerning the complications to DoDMERB.
 
Don't mean to step on RetNavyHM toes in his forum -

Some parent to parent advice from one who has survived 3 kids having wisdom teeth extracted---------
Common practice seems to differ geographically but in our area the kids dentists routinely do a panoramic in the mid-teen years. This checks the progress of development while under the gum line. Apparantly there is a time when they are "ripe" - some roots but not erupted - that they come out the easiest. Most kids around here routinely have them extracted sometime between 10-12th grade.
It probably isn't a bad idea - esp if you have dental insurance - to get them checked out and pulled before they get out of high school. Plebe summer or even during the semester is a heck of a time to be laid up for 5-7 days after having teeth pulled.
 
I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth removed all at the same time. I made a big deal out of it but I didnt even know what happened after. They scared me by telling me I could get a tumor in my mouth.. eeeekkkkss!
 
My son still has his wisdom teeth and no apparent problems. However, is there some written/unwritten rule that the SA's want them pulled out sometime during thier career????

Any additional need to remove them if they want a specialty area such as pilot training, etc?

Dknightfam
AF Appointment
NA Nomination
 
Dknightfam,

It not a "rule" really, if your son's dentist has ever recommended that they be removed, it is much, much better to have them removed before the academy. If they need to come out during the school year, he's out for at least 3 days, and missing 3 days could put him well behind the curve. Much better to have them out while at home so mom can baby him a little bit one last time. :shake:

If he has no problems with them, and the dentist says they can stay in, there is no limitation from that respect for any career specialties.
 
Might be a bit different at USMMA. I can only go on what their officials have told me: "Wisdom teeth must be removed before going to sea." I sent my son to the academy with his intact as our dentist said they were not going to be a problem. There was nothing in the academy's paper work telling us of a rule for them to be extracted. Son goes to academy, gets checked out by their dentist, dentist says, "What the heck are those doing in there? Get them out or you don't go to sea.". Sooooo, out they came, up in NY, away from Mom. It wasn't pretty being Mom 800 miles away that few days. It would be my guess, as the academy brooked no argument over the matter (I tried), that they don't want kids on Sea Year to have problems while they are gone such a long while?
 
Isn't everything different at USMMA? :shake:

Since the mids at USMMA go out with the Merchant Marine fleet and there is limited medical (from my understanding and I'm sure KP2001 can clarify this) and no dental, if a mid were to start having issues with his/her wisdom teeth while at sea it could become a VERY big issue. So I can see their requirement for having the wisdom teeth removed.
 
I'd have to say yep & agree with ya there. Very different indeed. They actually learn to sail those ships & not just stand around looking good in their whites. :wink:

Take that Doc. LOL
 
RetNavyHM-

The boy is slated to have his out mid-may. They are talking about putting him on a 5 day regimen of steroids (I assume for swelling).

Question: Since these are a prescribed 5-pack, are these okay per USNA/dodmerb rules? :scratch:
 
:smile: Thank you for your quick reply. I appreciate it. He has never had surgery before.
 
Maybe I can calm some of your fears - I have had 3 kids have wisdom teeth removed, one more to go!
My suggestions for whatever they are worth -
go to an Oral Surgeon who does a lot of wisdom teeth, ask your dentist and ask other parents in your area.
The practice that did my kids did had it down to a science. The whole process that day took about 2 - 1/2 hrs.
The ansethesia that they use is not the "General" anesthesia of major surgery. It is like a twilight sleep. They won't remember and will come out of it farily quickly. Our Oral surgeon also injected them with novacaine so they felt good the first day. Also, I never heard of anyone in our area getting prednisone to prevent swelling. This could vary be practice and region. Some kids swell and some don't - ICE 20 mins/hour when awake.
Can't stress ice enough. Follow all directions explicitly, no drinking from a straw etc.....
The important thing is to prevent a dry socket - without any infection or dry socket, he will probably be back to normal activities (ie running) in a week.
Getting them out is not really the big deal it was 20-30 years ago when we got ours out. If you get them out BEFORE they erupt or have problems it is much easier. IMO all kids should have them out before they report - their life will be much easier in the long run!
Stay calm and good luck!
 
mine are coming out friday:unhappy: my surgeon is like the one Just A Mom described so hopefully it wont be too painful, although mine said it would be good get out and run even the next day to speed up the healing process
 
The boy's is a DDS/MD. He's an oral surgeon, who is also a doctor (very helpful when giving anesthesia). He does just about everyone. The other alternative is another DDS/MD who sat behind Noah in the third grade.

He was going to get them out this month, but he decided he might want mom around and I had to schedule the day off, thus, next month.

I remember drinking from a straw a couple of days afterward (I forgot).

Just a mom- thanks for the back-up!
 
BR2011, darn teeth. Sorry you have to go through this. Wondering why they told you that you can run the day after. At the academy, my son wasn't allowed to run for a week because they said they didn't want him jarring around the work they'd done. I guess your case might be different?
 
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