Dental problems at sea.

[Sundowners]

Last week while aboard Carnival Spirit, my wife broke one of her front teeth, clean off, slightly below the gum line. First bite into a lunchtime salad roll.

She was in immediate and severe pain, so I immediately escorted her to the sick bay, down forward, on deck 1. This happened at about 12.40 PM and on arrival we found a sign on the door saying that the medical office is closed for lunch until 1PM. When we did get to see the Dr, presented him with the tooth and told him what had happened, he calmly said....we don't have a dentist on board. I answered saying, we didn't expect to see a dentist but could she have something for the pain please?. Then the clown asked my wife..."are you in pain?". She was in tears, with one of here own teeth in her hand....what a bloody silly question.

To his credit, along with some pain killers, he gave her some anaesthetic jell that worked like magic.

It was 3 days later that she finally got to see our family dentist who commenced an estimated $3,000+ root canal/ crown repair regime.

After checking with our travel insurance folk, it turns out that they will only cover our medical expenses while we were out of the country and not the repair work done here at home. I jokingly suggested trying to get compensation out of Carnival...there was just a chuckle as an answer.

So, be warned, don't do any dental damage at sea. Number one, there are no dentists at sea. Number two, your insurance will only cover you for costs at sea and since there are no dentists at sea....well....catch 22.

Cheers,

Rob ($3,000 lighter)

[Fozwald]

The insurance issue sounds about right as you would be covered by health insurance at home. If you can't access dental care overseas, then the travel insurance (dental component) obviously wont cover it because you haven't incurred any dental costs while out of the country.

[MicCanberra]

Sorry to hear about your wife's tooth and all the subsequent pain, suffering, discomfort and cost. As for the insurance, they only pay when they have no other alternative, so it is always best not to get injured or ill while travelling.:D

[NSWP]

Oh gawd, Carnival Spirt food again, concrete bread roll? As for dentists, I do believe QM2 has one, but no other line.

 

Rob, I hope your wife is OK now.

[Sutho]

It would have qualified as a medical emergency to see the Doctor straight away. Even though the Doctor is not a Dentist they can easily perscrbibe pain killers and antiseptic solution to prevent infection. It would be no different to treating a wound or making a decision if it needed further specialist investigation. If the wound becomes infected some bugs are bad enough to kill a person.

 

As long as you got it resolved is the main thing.

[rugbypopsie]

Generally the ships agent can be contacted to help find an emergency dentist in next port .. all costs should then be covered by travel insurance. Some ships are able to perform basic temporary repairs..

 

Sue

[Aus Traveller]

On a cruise we did to Asia, the Guest Services Desk arranged an appointment for a passenger with the dentist they use in Singapore. I don't think there would be the need to have a dentist and all the equipment they require on board because they wouldn't be required all that often. It is rather different for the doctor who is sometimes run off his/her feet.

[karmac]

Their bread rolls obviously aren't as good as P&O's lol They truly are the best!!:D

[6andy6]

Last week while aboard Carnival Spirit, my wife broke one of her front teeth, clean off, slightly below the gum line. First bite into a lunchtime salad roll.

She was in immediate and severe pain, so I immediately escorted her to the sick bay, down forward, on deck 1. This happened at about 12.40 PM and on arrival we found a sign on the door saying that the medical office is closed for lunch until 1PM. When we did get to see the Dr, presented him with the tooth and told him what had happened, he calmly said....we don't have a dentist on board. I answered saying, we didn't expect to see a dentist but could she have something for the pain please?. Then the clown asked my wife..."are you in pain?". She was in tears, with one of here own teeth in her hand....what a bloody silly question.

To his credit, along with some pain killers, he gave her some anaesthetic jell that worked like magic.

It was 3 days later that she finally got to see our family dentist who commenced an estimated $3,000+ root canal/ crown repair regime.

After checking with our travel insurance folk, it turns out that they will only cover our medical expenses while we were out of the country and not the repair work done here at home. I jokingly suggested trying to get compensation out of Carnival...there was just a chuckle as an answer.

So, be warned, don't do any dental damage at sea. Number one, there are no dentists at sea. Number two, your insurance will only cover you for costs at sea and since there are no dentists at sea....well....catch 22.

Cheers,

Rob ($3,000 lighter)

 

I would actually slightly disagree.....I would assume the travel insurance would have paid IF you had got dental attention in one of the ports you visited following the incident on the ship (if you had had any ports left to visit which obviously you didn't).....

 

Just like they would pay for medical attention if you had to disembark and stay at a hospital until you were repatriated back to Australia.

[Aus Traveller]

I'm pretty sure that the cost of dental treatment ashore during a cruise would be covered by travel insurance. I had to have similar work during a trip to Europe. When I claimed on travel insurance, at first they declined to pay saying they only covered "emergency dental treatment", but when I pointed out my other option was to fly home, they agreed to pay.

 

I don't think dental treatment ashore would have taken care of the matter in the situation being discussed. The lady had to have root canal/crown treatment and that takes a couple of visits to a dentist over a period of time.

 

With mine, I think the bill from my own dentist was the same as if he had done all the work from scratch, but I don't mind because he did a good job.

[aussiedisneyfan]

My Aunt had a dental issue on a cruise and HAL organised for her to see a dentist in the next port. They opened specifically for her and another person as it was a public holiday. She was able to claim it all back on her travel insurance. In fact she was better off because in AU it would have cost her.

[fishtaco]

Many people dont realize ongoing treatment is not covered by travel insurance once you are back home.

 

But if you have no private medical insurance and the dental work is not covered by Medicare then it should be claimable on the travel insurance?

 

Mind you Teeth dont just snap off while eating food so could be classed as an existing?