Wisdom Teeth removal

[mmx1]

Are wisdom teeth removed as a matter of course after commissioning and is it possible to take care of it while I'm on leave/PTAD?

Background: At my flight physical I was told that my wisdom teeth weren't likely to impact (they're turned sideways), but the Marine Corps would take them out anyway as a routine matter shortly after commissioning to avoid complications later. A ground guy in the next rack (I'm in week 9 of OCS) heard the same thing about his teeth. During our TBS orientation with Mike CO, both the XO and the Student staff told us
a) we'd get them removed at TBS and get kicked back from Bravo to Charlie. I would get to do IFS in the meantime.
b) no, I couldn't just go to a tricare facility and get them removed while I'm on leave.
I don't want to get left behind and go to TBS with guys I don't know, as opposed to my peers from OCC-193, and waiting four months for the next class just because I'm out of commission for a few days seems like a really bad deal.

Now, I'm not sure if the removal is at the dentist's discretion at zero week (and since they're overbooked for Bravo the staff could just be looking for an excuse to kick me to the next class). Is such removal mandatory and when do they do it? I saw a post here indicating they only require it to be done before API. Also, is anything preventing me from just getting it down on my own time and would tricare cover it?

 

[skidkid]

depends, It seemed like when I was at TBS anyone with wisdom teeth had them taken out, even 10 year priors who had been under the care of Naval dentistry for a long time and had no prior problems (someone neede practice before that lucrative civilian career I suppose).

Most ahd them taken out got handed some mild painkillers and were told to drive back to the Q, bad deal. If I were you and had the means I would get them out with a civilian dentists prior to TBS so you dont have to worry about recovery infection etc, they cant do anything if they are already out of your mouth.

 

[wrk]

I know someone who had theirs taken out during the last few weeks of TBS, along with the rest of the people in their company who needed them removed. There's nothing that wrong with doing IFS first before you do TBS, in fact, as someone who did IFS in M Co after TBS, I'd almost think it would be better to do IFS first. M Co sucks, but it sucks even more when you've already been through TBS. And when you're done with TBS, the last thing you want to do is just move all your stuff to a new room, you'll want to get THE FUCK out of quantico. So yeah it would suck to not be with people you know, but at least you would know people in the company ahead of you and you could get the gouge from them on upcoming events.

All that said, wisdom teeth removal isn't huge oral surgery requiring weeks of recovery, at least for most people. I had mine out when I was younger and was fine in a few days, as are most people. So there's no reason they can't just take them out between OCS and TBS. Except of course, if they're just looking for excuses to kick people back, like you said.

 

[TrunkMonkey]

Getting my wisdom teeth out hurt a lot. I was able to take Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off and spend most of those days laying on my couch in a narcotic daze watching movies and recovering on my own schedule. I wouldn't have had it any other way... going to work right afterwards would have sucked. Do it while you're on leave if you can.

 

[jfulginiti]

When I had mine out in high school in 1994, the doctor knocked me out cold with an IV drip. I woke up at home on the couch and didn't remember a thing. I never had one stitch of pain either. As stated, most people will recover quickly. How much time do you have between OCC and TBS? The problem is that the Mike Co. XO basically told you not to get it done. What happens if you get it done anyway and then have complications and can't report on time?? That's not the way you want to start TBS. Just do what they say. 4 months isn't that long and you won't be far behind your buddies anyway. You'll actually be able to get all the gouge from them! You get 60 days to complete IFS so you'll only have to spend another 2 months with Mike Co. You can use that time to find all the Land Nav boxes. Worst case, if you can't get the teeth pulled before reporting to Pensacola, you'll have plenty of time before API to get it done here.

 

[wrk]

Get nitrous if you can. It rules.

 

[usmcecho4]

I got mine out at PCOLA before API and all they gave me was some novocaine and a blindfold. I kept waiting for the Nitrous that was sitting right next to me but it never came. I would rather have done it at a civilian facility amd I definitely wouldn't have wanted to do it at TBS as recovery there sucks. They gave me a 2 day no duty chit, a longer light duty chit and a bottle of percocet and sent me on my way. It was awesome too because I had neglected to but soft foods beforehand so I got to go to the grocery store with a mouthful of gauze and drooling blood all over myself. Hard not to feel cool. Just don't loose the syringe thing they give you to clear food out of your sockets because it really sucks trying to dig hamburger out of one of those things with a kitchen knife.

Semper Fi,
usmcecho4

 

[zachary2777]

Hopefully you won't wake up in the middle of the extraction like I did. I started screaming when he started to pull the tooth even though I was supposed to be out cold.

Funny thing is... I don't remember any pain.

 

[michaels601]

I just got mine out a few weeks ago (the day before thanksgiving, in fact). I was functionally useless for about two days, but for at least a week after that I wasn't at 100% (doc said no "strenuours activity, running, or lifting for ten days" and much as i figured I'd blow him off, I found myself agreeing).

I wasn't knocked out, I got "twilight anesthesia" where I was just stoned while the nurses held my head back and he ripped four teeth out of my face. No real pain, but it was sure weird. Memory's pretty spotty, but I remember being told to "sit down and shut up" repeatedly after it was done.

My lowers were impacted like champs, so your recovery might be significantly shorter, but I'd still do it when you're gonna have a good chunk of time to take it easy afterwards.

PS- Being able to fill a small garbage can in a day by spitting blood, really cool to show your friends.

 

[wrk]

"I think he's converted to Judiasm, purely for the jokes!"

"And that offends you as a Jew?"

"It offends me as a comedian!"

 

[raptor10]

Greatest. Show. Ever!

 

[SMILE4BULLETS]

Ok, so I may be getting in on this a little late, but I have a question. If my wisdom teeth came in perfectly (i think i actually have room for another set...) will they have to be taken out prior to API? I've had the NOMI/NAMI flight physical down in pcola and dental didn't say squat about them being in.

 

[Carno]

If your wisdom teeth came in perfectly and had no problems, you wouldn't need to get them removed.

The reason people get them removed is because they are or will be a problem.

 

[RivrGuide]

Go ahead and get them out

My roommate in D Co did not get his out until after TBS, because there was no time during the Training Schedule to get them out, and his teeth were killing him by the end of the program. Also, you will make plenty of new friends in your platoon/company regardless of how many people you go in knowing. TBS will give you a headache without 4 teeth growing sideways into your skull housing unit, best advice is to get IFS and wisdom teeth out of the way first, as the earlier post said, the last thing you will want to do is move from O'bannon to Graves for another 4 months after you graduate.

 

[SuperStallionIP]

I still have my wisdom teeth. The Navy oral surgeon told me that it makes no sense to have them removed when they are not causing any pain or problems. In some cases (like mine) there can be more harm than good done, such as inadvertantly punching holes into your sinus when they are trying to dig the wisdom teeth out.