Can i be forced to have my wisdom teeth removed?

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 12:24:03 -0400

Response by Maj Kim Patterson made Sep 3 at 2019 12:39 PM

Maj Kim Patterson — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 12:39:20 -0400

Response by Lt Col Jim Coe made Sep 3 at 2019 1:01 PM

Lt Col Jim Coe — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 13:01:38 -0400

So let's think this through a little. The Army probably can't force you directly, like at gun point, to have your wisdom teeth removed. HOWEVER, if you have bad teeth you will fail your dental exam. Failing this exam may make you non-deployable. Being non-deployable can cause the Army to force you out of the Service. Is that what you want?
Anyway, oral surgery isn't all that bad these days. Modern techniques and "good drugs" make it fairly painless. If your wisdom teeth are impacted or decayed, then having them out is a good idea. It's free. As my Alaskan friends say (long before Nike), Just Do It.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Sep 3 at 2019 1:06 PM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 13:06:58 -0400

I'd very seriously ask for an oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) consult, not just general dentistry...I was nagged by our dentist, my wife was nagged by another yrs ago, she acceded, I explicitly said no, mine are healthy, not impacted, not decayed...I'm not a dentist, obv, I'm merely saying I'd politely insist on an OMFS consult, with panoramic X-ray eval, if that hasn't been done yet, to properly assess them...I completely realize, and have seen many threads on here, about that whole theme in the svcs...I'm merely saying that the highest one can go clinically, for the most part, for such aspects, is, as I've understood the matter, OMFS...if you svc clinical facility doesn't have one, ask for a consult elsewhere nearby...if there's a VA facility near you, when I was an allied-health doctoral resident (not dentistry) before my total perm disability, I saw many instances of active duty, Guard, and/or Reserve personnel sent to VA for consults when local clinical facilities didn't have what was needed...I'm obv not expert, of course, and those are just, as I'd said, my opinions, my Mom had hers out, I think needlessly, yrs ago when I was a kid...I'd seen how much pain she was in...honestly, that's what I'd ask for, purely as a layperson opinion on the topic...I'd seriously thought about going dental, I didn't, for which I often kick myself, I'd esp wanted to go OMFS, the either MD or DO for med, as OMFS residencies are typically linked to med programs, which is why, if you can, ask expressly for an OMFS dentist who's also a physician, trust me, they exist, I assure you, don't let anyone tell you they don't, I researched that whole topic exceedingly thoroughly yrs ago, promise...if you haven't asked about such a consult, I very definitely would, that's all I'm trying to suggest, honest, hope that was of at least some help, for whatever possible good it might be worth, OK?

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 3 at 2019 2:22 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 14:22:58 -0400

Your commander will not order you to have your wisdom teeth removed.
However, "IF" your refusal to have your wisdom teeth removed results in you being ineligible for deployment (your readiness), you may face separation from service.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 3 at 2019 2:38 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 14:38:54 -0400

Yes and no. If your wisdom teeth are fine and not causing you issues nor causing you to be given a DRC that makes you non-deployable, then no. BUT....if your wisdom teeth are examined during a LHI scheduled dental exam and the doctor determines they need to come out and as such you are given a DRC of 3, then you are non-deployable and will be listed as RED on the unit metrics and THEN you can be ordered (forced) to get them removed. And, you will get them removed on the Army's dime.

Response by SFC Michael D. made Sep 3 at 2019 3:58 PM

SFC Michael D. — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 15:58:09 -0400

Look at the X-Rays. If they are growing the wrong direction, you know what you gotta do.

Response by SPC Thomas Baldwin made Sep 3 at 2019 6:10 PM

SPC Thomas Baldwin — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 18:10:38 -0400

I had one if mine removed by the VA as final denial was not provided before my ETS. After exam only one was impacted and the other was good. I was given a choice of in the chair or put me out and overnight. I choose the overnight and it was alright very little post op pain. The healing went without complications.

Response by MSgt Michael Smith made Sep 4 at 2019 9:02 AM

MSgt Michael Smith — Wed, 04 Sep 2019 09:02:05 -0400

No but you can be discharged because you render yourself nondeployable due to the fact that you have impacted wisdom teeth.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Sep 4 at 2019 3:21 PM

CAPT Kevin B. — Wed, 04 Sep 2019 15:21:16 -0400

Policies change over time. Now that dental is closer than CONUS, policies have softened a bit. I had no choice as I was deploying to Antarctica. The cost of Medivac was huge, not to mention a gap in a needed billet. Everyone got X-Rayed. If you saw the syringe when the Doc lowered the film, you had your answer.