Onboard Dentist ??

[RetiredRich]

We were on a 14 Eurodam Panama cruise a few months ago.  I got on the elevator and one of the ship's officers in great pain was there also.  He had his hand up on his cheek and said he has a very bad tooth ache.  I've always wondered what became of him.  I don't think any ship has an on board dentist.  Probably a doctor that can prescribe pain killers.  But what a bad place to get a tooth ache.

[Mary229]

I once had a sinus infection brought on by a tooth (silly me).  The ship doctor gave me antibiotics and correctly determined it was the tooth.  He said I could seek dental advice in the next port but in my case he felt I would be home soon enough to go to my own dentist.   I do believe they have lists of dentists for some ports, of course you would use them at your own risk.  

[CRUZBUDS]

We were in Honolulu a couple of weeks ago on the Star Princess.  While waiting for the rental car shuttle,  we noticed a crew member walking back and forth holding up a clipboard that had a sign on it saying "Dental Visits".  It was like a shore excursion for the crew - I think they'd rather be going to Wal-Mart, I would  😀

[Krazy Kruizers]

Many, many years ago there was a dentist on board -- for passengers and crew.

 

Now you have to stop by the front desk or the concierge and ask them the name of a dentist in a port -- they do have lists.  Crew especially have more occasion to need them than a passenger since they are on the ships longer than we are.

[grest]

My husband developed an abcess during a cruise....poor guy, he was in quite a bit of pain, with no dentist onboard...the doc gave him pain killers, but it didn't help much.

[Debzee53]

2 hours ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

Many, many years ago there was a dentist on board -- for passengers and crew.

 

Now you have to stop by the front desk or the concierge and ask them the name of a dentist in a port -- they do have lists.  Crew especially have more occasion to need them than a passenger since they are on the ships longer than we are.

 

[Debzee53]

I wish I knew about the list at the front desk. Last year, just before a stop in Martinique, my husband lost a filling and was in a lot of pain. It was at the beginning of an eleven day cruise. Since there was a language barrier, we had a hard time finding a local dentist. Luckily, we found one that put in a temporary filling for him. He even called in his wife to help us communicate.

[Mary229]

That reminds me, we always have a dental kit in our luggage. Glue for crowns, temporary fillings, etc. ...so knock on my door next time😁

[kazu]

1 hour ago, Mary229 said:

That reminds me, we always have a dental kit in our luggage. Glue for crowns, temporary fillings, etc. ...so knock on my door next time😁

 

Smart!  I learned the hard way to do that.  I had a problem on a cruise a long time ago and fortunately my friend were wise enough to have the gummy glue stuff.  It worked until I got home.

 

[Lido deck main]

1 hour ago, Mary229 said:

That reminds me, we always have a dental kit in our luggage. Glue for crowns, temporary fillings, etc. ...so knock on my door next time😁

I didn’t even know that existed, so I just went online,  to that place, and found it and already ordered it.  Thanks for mentioning that.

[Caribbean Chris]

3 hours ago, Mary229 said:

That reminds me, we always have a dental kit in our luggage. Glue for crowns, temporary fillings, etc. ...so knock on my door next time😁

I do the same. Had a crown fall off while on a trip, and my husband went to Walgreen’s for a small container of tooth glue. It worked surprisingly well and held it tight for a long time. 

[T8NCruise]

2 cruises ago I broke a tooth biting on a candy.  No dentistry onboard, and I was loath to find one in the ports we were calling at.  I eventually resorted to taking a metal nail file and filing the jagged edges down so that I could eat and speak without shredding my tongue!  It worked great, and I eventually went to my dentist a couple of weeks after arriving home. 

[RetiredRich]

This was all great information.  I know I will have that dental kit on my next cruise.  Thank all of you for replying.

 

Retiredrich

[sansterre]

A few years ago I lost a front tooth cap as we sailed along the coast of Brazil to Rio.  I thought dental kits were kept on board HAL ships but the doctor on board said he could not help me because we had two overnights coming up in Rio and I should get it that kind of thing done while in Rio.  I was given a name and address and told that I would need to have at least $3000.00 in cash with me and also money for the taxi which I could get in the port ! 

DH and I discussed it and decided that instead we would take our planned tour to Sugarloaf and look for a pharmacy with dental glue.  Our guide and driver stopped at a pharmacy, but they only had something similar to Polident;  I tried it but it did not work on a front tooth.  We called the medical office again that night and pleaded for help.

A new doctor had just boarded from S. Africa and he was happy to take a look and see if he could help me.  He was shocked that HAL expected us to go out with that much cash while the ship had a kit with some dental glue on board.   Between the three of us, we figured out what to do and the crown stayed secure until we got home to have it permanently reglued.

Now, I always travel with the little dental emergency kit.

Edited February 20, 2020 by sansterre

[awhcruiser]

Dollar Tree in the states sells dental kits

[WeRockChalkKU]

A little dab of toothpaste will work as a temporary “glue”

[catl331]

15 hours ago, Mary229 said:

That reminds me, we always have a dental kit in our luggage. Glue for crowns, temporary fillings, etc. ...so knock on my door next time😁

I would have thought the ship's infirmary would have something like that.

[DeeniEncinitas]

Here is a suggestion from me as a retired DDS. This is only for non emergency without pain or swelling! Orthodontic dental wax. Naturally unless your are in ortho you would not find this. Target or any of your drugstores carry for swimmers 

the wax inserts to place in your ears to prevent water. Remove some of the wax 

place it into the crown( not a lot) push up into crown prep bite down check to make sure it isn’t feeling high ( if so remove some) and replace back on prep. With a quip swab off excess at gum line. This is only for a short temporary measure. Be careful chewing. Remove at nite and redo on the am until you can seek a dental practice. If a filling has come out and the prep inside is clean go ahead and place wax into cavity area press with finger to seal the mold remove excess with tip tap, tap, tap your teeth together!!

Hope this helps.

Denise😊

[Creeskan]

Thanks for the information.

[treykion]

They must have some kind of first aid kit with them, which must have painkillers in it. But how do you imagine a dental office on board? Antibiotics is also not the best option, especially if it's pulpitis or some other minor problems - antibiotics are just not effective for such conditions. The case of the abscess is very scary, I don`t understand how that man could lead to such a situation… Of course, the best option is to get checked out by a dentist before the cruise. One of the last clinics I went to was crowndentalgroup.com.au. Since the ship was sailing specifically from australia.

Edited December 4, 2022 by treykion

[Fred321]

Our first world cruise on the Amsterdam in 2013 they had a dentist onboard. Basically getting a free cruise for his services. On our last world cruise in 2020 I had a crown come off while in Antarctica. Was told they no longer had a dentist onboard but I was put on a list of those needing dental work. Got a notice before we got to Ushuaia to meet on the pier on arrival. Was taken in a van with a few other passengers and crew members to a dental office where we were worked on. Transport and arrangements were made by a company in port that must deal with all of the ships that call there. Very efficient and professional. Paid with a credit card and was on my way.

[BetsyS.]

treykion - I agree with you that seeing a dentist before the cruise is the best option. 

I had put off seeing a dentist for a long time (using the pandemic as an excuse). 

However, I was booked on a 24 day cruise in August. I saw my dentist in April 

and I needed dental surgery. The oral surgeon was booked up, but he saw me in 

July and I was given antibiotics to take after the surgery. The dentist saw me 2 days 

before the cruise. It was a relief to have that done so I could enjoy the cruise.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, BetsyS. said:

treykion - I agree with you that seeing a dentist before the cruise is the best option. 

I had put off seeing a dentist for a long time (using the pandemic as an excuse). 

However, I was booked on a 24 day cruise in August. I saw my dentist in April 

and I needed dental surgery. The oral surgeon was booked up, but he saw me in 

July and I was given antibiotics to take after the surgery. The dentist saw me 2 days 

before the cruise. It was a relief to have that done so I could enjoy the cruise.

My DW was in the same situation with having dental surgery before a cruise. But then on the cruise she unfortunately learned that she was allergic to the antibiotic that had been prescribed to her. (That's why I always reply not that I am aware of when asked if I have any allergies.)

[Sir PMP]

On 2/19/2020 at 6:02 PM, Mary229 said:

That reminds me, we always have a dental kit in our luggage. Glue for crowns, temporary fillings, etc. ...so knock on my door next time😁

Do you do cleaning too? You might have a line out the door..

[BetsyS.]

on the web - I'm sorry your wife had that problem on the cruise. I hope she 

was given a different antibiotic by the ship's doctor.