Dentistry

[Lebanese Canadian]

hi,i have 4 wisdom teeth i gotta pull out before i go to the reserves so that they dont cause me trouble while im in.But i was wondering does anyone know how much it costs to get out a wisdom tooth?i heard its expensve.Shit if thats the case id have to go back to my country and do it there and so then i have to go through this clearance again.

 

[Sundborg]

I'm sure it varies from dentist to dentist.  It may cost around $200 a tooth.
On the up side, my friend got his wisdoms pulled out a few months back and he's reg force.  I dont' know the policy for reserves though.

 

[NiTz]

arrghh wisdom teeth.. I got 4 of them removed 2 years ago, it costed around 800$ if I remember well, but don't take my word for it as it may vary. Very painful and uncomfortable operation too, gave  me headaches for the 4 days following the intervention. Just a little question : how can widom teeth give you trouble except that your other teeth may not grow in alignment?


Cheers!

 

[Lebanese Canadian]

mine have grown not straight but towards the other teeth so they will affect the other teeth and also it will cause lots of cavities.

 

[old medic]

hi,i have 4 wisdom teeth i gotta pull out before i go to the reserves .....

Gotta ??

Did you hear that from a dentist? or did someone unqualified (not a dentist) tell you that?

 

[NiTz]

awwwh cavities sucks,hate that... I toughed you had to remove your wisdom teeth as a preventive measure but... well except for cavities that "may" happend, what are the risks of not removing them?

 

[Lebanese Canadian]

Gotta ??

Did you hear that from a dentist? or did someone unqualified (not a dentist) tell you that?

sooner or later they will cause pain etc....so better to fix them now.If you have a wisdom tooth growing towards ur other tooth,then they are going to touch each other and this will cause pain,plus there will be space where it will be hard to brush so there will be cavities there and so on...

 

[old medic]

Some people do have enough room to keep their wisdom teeth.
If you don't have a dentists opinion on yours, then I wouldn't assume anything.
Get it checked. A check up with cleaning and xrays is not that expensive.

 

[George Wallace]

A couple of things:

Do you ABSOLUTELY have to have them removed?  Once they are gone, there is no going back.

IF you do have to have them removed, it is better to have them done when you are younger than when you are older, as your jaw bones get harder as you age.  I know, just having one removed two weeks ago.  A three hour experience, with a good thirty minutes plus of it involving the Dentist man-handling my wisdom tooth with pliers, and other tools, before it finally came out.  Lots of Fun.  Now I have a great big gap in the back of my mouth.

SECOND OPINIONS are a good idea.  Some Dentists are a little "unethical" in that they like to conduct unnecessary procedures for experience or profit or both.  I suppose, finding a good dentist is like finding a good doctor. 

GW

 

[JimmyPeeOn]

I just got back from the dentist yesterday, here's the deal they gave me.

1) If deploying  (which I am) and the tooth is not completely covered by bone or totally out they must be removed.

2)It's done because when in theatre you can't afford to miss days and be all messed up.

3)countries like Afghanistan, there dust is approx 20% fecal matter (poop) and having holes in your mouth provides a direct port to your bloodstream without passing the liver, which can get you very sick very fast.
Plus the elevation above sea level, different air pressure etc.

4)Peoples immune systems tend to slow when introduced into a new environment.

So I'm getting all 4 taken out courtesy of the Queen before I blow the proverbial pop stand.

hope that answers something.

Cheerz

 

[NiTz]

When I got mine removed, the worst part I found of the entire process is when the dentist took a tool wich looked like a little pry-bar approx. 7 inches long and managed to "break" the tooth or something. Then you hear and feel a big "craaacckk" then he takes pliers to remove the teeth... awwwfuulll!!!

Plus, as George Wallace said, for the next year I got those big holes wich were always getting packed full of food when I was eating. Seems the holes have healed themselves now... anyways I hated that, but hey, who would really love that?


Cheers!  :warstory:

 

[Donut]

OK,

firstly, there's a huge difference between being dentally fit to deploy, and joining the reserves. 

With regards to getting your wisdom teeth out, the reserves won't care about it for your enrollment.  Deployment is another matter entirely, and they'll probably have to come out before you go overseas.

Even in the regs, and I may be wrong,

Keep in mind, there is limited dental insurance for Cl A reserves, that will offset the cost.  I believe it kicks in 90 days after enrollment.


Hope this helps

DF

 

[old medic]

Right on the money ParaMedTech...

for those curious, here is a link to the dental plan guide :

CF Dental Plan Care Guide
http://www.dnd.ca/dpsp/engraph/dpspden_e.asp

 

[Brad Sallows]

Ask to see the X-rays; you may find them convincing.

Definitely have it done while you are young if it's evident that they are impacting.  I had all (three only) taken out at age 24; local anaesthetic (a few needles' worth, though); two very quickly in first half hour and 1 hour for the last (in pieces).  Back at work next day.  Note: arrange for friend to drive you home since you will be in no shape to drive and a long bus ride might just about exceed the carrying capacity of your mouth for drool...

 

[Korus]

Sorry to dig up an old post, but some advice to reservists considering deployment.. Get your teeth checked out by a civvies dentist well before you start predeployment training!

I had my teeth checked a couple years back by my civvies dentist, when the wisdom teeth seemed to be growing in ok, but could still go either way. I'm on predeployment now, and the base dentist told me I need 3 of them out to be deployable (they're partially impacted), which is a pain in the arse for a reservist, since they can't do it on base. I needed to go to my civvie dentist to have them re-take x-rays and then refer me to an oral surgeon to do the work. I was told that it can take 3-4 months to get this booking. Luckily, they were very accommodating to my plight and managed to squeeze me in, so this Monday I'm getting them yanked.

The bummer is that I have to foot the bill myself now, as I'm on class B, and I can't get class C until I DAG green, and these teeth are the only thing stopping that now. Luckily the Reserve Dental Plan (check it out, reservists!) should cover 90% of the procedure, so the hit on my wallet won't be too big.

Moral of the story.. Make sure you have your teeth sorted out if you're considering deployment! It will save you a headache later on.

 

[S McPhee]

Okay, so I have a question about wisdom teeth that I could not find in my search, so I figure this post is as good as any to ask it in.


I have all four wisdom teeth and they are not causing any negative effects for me.  My dentist told me they are fine, but because they are a little further back, it would be prone to decay as they would be harder to properly take care of.  I would prefer to keep them if I can.  If I was accepted into the Forces (Navy - with overseas duty), would it be likely that I would have to get them removed?

 

[Antoine]

Not directly related to Canadian Forces Dental Services but might be of general interest.

Chemistry bites by Simon Hadlington, Chemistry World Feb 2010

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/Issues/2010/February/ChemistryBites.asp

Simon Hadlington previews the novel materials coming soon to a dental surgery near you
In Short:
Developing materials that can cope with the hostile environment of the mouth is challenging
Resin composites are replacing amalgam for teeth restorations, but they can be difficult to stick in place
Growth factors, that promote bone growth, are being attached to surfaces of Ti implants to allow them to be fixed to damaged jaw bones
High-tech adhesive materials that encourage growth of new bone are being developed for more severe cases of jawbone damage

Teeth have a hard time of things. Not only are they required to crunch, break, chew and tear, they also exist in a remarkably hostile and extremely variable environment. So when it comes to mending damaged or diseased teeth and bones in the mouth, the challenge to develop materials that can cope with these stresses are nothing if not substantial. Furthermore, there is an increasing demand from patients that materials are aesthetically pleasing - ugly metallic fillings are gradually becoming a thing of the past. The chemistry behind fixing teeth and bones in the mouth, and developing new ways to prevent damage is, literally, science at the sharp end.

The article is long so you can find more at:
http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/Issues/2010/February/ChemistryBites.asp

Also available as a PDF file.