Do Doctors on board treat basic teeth problems

[Kenato]

Having tooth extracted just before we leave on cruise and wondering if doctor on board will treat simple problems like dry socket or bleeding socket

[Sir PMP]

No.

[cruzngal]

My MIL fell face first and broke a tooth on the way to embarkation.  She powered through to get onboard so that we didn’t miss the cruise.  Then she went to see the onboard medical facility.  They examined her for other injuries, dealt with the cuts and scrapes, checked for other loose or damaged teeth,  and provided meds for her mouth pain, but that was about all.  She was very satisfied with the care they gave her, but it was generalized medical care.  

[OlsSalt]

Talk to your oral surgeon- get their advice and any protective prescriptions you might need for possible complications.

 

Personally and dry sockets after wisdom teeth extractions decades ago - they were a nuisance to keep flushed out, but in those days good old time was the course of treatment until they filled in. 

[tunafish]

Since ship docs are pretty much an ER doc, the scope of help would be similar: we would treat bleeding, possible infection and pain... The goal is to stabilize the patient until seen by a specialist

[Mary229]

Nope, they will sell you pain meds and antibiotics for an infection it they are not dentists.   They may be able to recommend an onshore dentist 

[albingirl]

Before we travel, I always head to the dentist for a full check. But, that never prevents a broken or chipped tooth on your travels. It's always a risk, I suppose but you just hope for the best 

[Mary229]

13 minutes ago, albingirl said:

Before we travel, I always head to the dentist for a full check. But, that never prevents a broken or chipped tooth on your travels. It's always a risk, I suppose but you just hope for the best 

Same here and good advice 

[sunviking90]

9 hours ago, Kenato said:

Having tooth extracted just before we leave on cruise and wondering if doctor on board will treat simple problems like dry socket or bleeding socket

I would try to have it done at least a week before you leave. Barring that, follow your dentist or OS’s post op directions to the letter. No smoking, no drinking with straws, don’t try to “flush” the area right away, you want the blood to clot, etc. 
I’m not a dentist but recently retired from 25 years in the field, and smoking and sucking on straws were usually what brought people back to us with issues. 

Edited March 24, 2023 by sunviking90

[SargassoPirate]

15 hours ago, albingirl said:

Before we travel, I always head to the dentist for a full check. But, that never prevents a broken or chipped tooth on your travels. It's always a risk, I suppose but you just hope for the best 

Part of my travel tool kit is a dental emergency repair kit that will cement a loose crown or temporarily fill a lost filling. You can find them on Amazon. I've never needed it myself, but it has come in handy for traveling companions.

[wandrr]

While on board during a recent cruise, the Cruise and Travel Director had a chat time with one of the ship doctors. That exact question was asked. The answer was that they are not dentists but would do what they can. They apparently have some sort of dental repair kit (basic tools and materials) that might help with emergencies. The doc said they would definitely seek assistance from the Holland America medical centre back at "Head Office". According to him, if the injury was severe enough, the patient would in all likelihood be transferred shoreside with the repair possibly being completed during a port call.

 

In short, they will certainly help, but major stuff would require assistance. Of course, none of this is free!    🤣

[Iamthesea]

23 hours ago, sunviking90 said:

I would try to have it done at least a week before you leave. Barring that, follow your dentist or OS’s post op directions to the letter. No smoking, no drinking with straws, don’t try to “flush” the area right away, you want the blood to clot, etc. 
I’m not a dentist but recently retired from 25 years in the field, and smoking and sucking on straws were usually what brought people back to us with issues. 

Or eating small items food like corn.  That's what got me when I had a wisdom tooth out many years ago.

9 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

Part of my travel tool kit is a dental emergency repair kit that will cement a loose crown or temporarily fill a lost filling. You can find them on Amazon. I've never needed it myself, but it has come in handy for traveling companions.

I will never travel without a dental kit after an experience five years ago.  DH and I were on a pre-cruise trip in Prague for my 60th birthday.  At a nice dinner restaurant, I bit into a piece of fish and a crown came off.  Not only that, but part of the tooth underneath came off.  I searched all over Prague for a dental kit.  No such thing at the time.  I finally found some denture cream.  It seemed to do the trick in keeping the crown in, but I was worried about the tooth loss.  Once we made it to Germany and boarded our river cruise ship, I asked the manager about seeing a dentist.  He arranged a visit with a dentist in town, even paying for a cab and personally escorting us.   The dentist was very nice, although we could barely understand each other. 🙄 The total cost for him to clean up and re-cement the tooth was $50 cash!!!  That included anesthesia and an antibiotic. 

Edited March 25, 2023 by Iamthesea

[OlsSalt]

A very small bit of beeswax can provide a **temporary** fix for a loosened crown, if it is necessary to put it back in place temporarily until you can get professional service.

 

(I did say temporary, right?)

 

[Reagan0712]

I always keep Dentemp on hand for use while traveling and at home. At home I’ve lost part of a filling and broken a tooth and each time was on a weekend. The Dentemp worked each time to fill the hole until Monday. Showed it to my dentist and he was impressed with the compound. Said it’s made from some of the stuff that was used years ago for fillings.

 

[OlsSalt]

2 hours ago, Reagan0712 said:

I always keep Dentemp on hand for use while traveling and at home. At home I’ve lost part of a filling and broken a tooth and each time was on a weekend. The Dentemp worked each time to fill the hole until Monday. Showed it to my dentist and he was impressed with the compound. Said it’s made from some of the stuff that was used years ago for fillings.

 

 

 

Zinc oxide-eugenol 

[Iamthesea]

11 hours ago, Reagan0712 said:

I always keep Dentemp on hand for use while traveling and at home. At home I’ve lost part of a filling and broken a tooth and each time was on a weekend. The Dentemp worked each time to fill the hole until Monday. Showed it to my dentist and he was impressed with the compound. Said it’s made from some of the stuff that was used years ago for fillings.

Yep, that's what I have.  I made buy a fresh pack for the upcoming trip.