I know there is a Dr.on board,now i wish there was a DENTIST!!!!

[BoPippy]

I know there is a Dr.I now wish there was a dentist!!!Four weeks ago i broke the side off a lower tooth right to gum line,waited a week got it fixed and now today another tooth broke to the gum line upper and my dentist is so busy,i may have to wait until next week to get it fixed and am freaked out about dentists at the best of times.I am now imagining this happening in the middle or beginning of a two week cruise and having to wait until i get home to get it repaired!!!As long as we do not leave on a Friday the 13..maybe i will be ok!!I wish they had a dentist office on board as well as a Dr.:D:D:eek::eek::eek::eek:

[Colo Cruiser]

I know there is a Dr.I now wish there was a dentist!!!Four weeks ago i broke the side off a lower tooth right to gum line,waited a week got it fixed and now today another tooth broke to the gum line upper and my dentist is so busy,i may have to wait until next week to get it fixed and am freaked out about dentists at the best of times.I am now imagining this happening in the middle or beginning of a two week cruise and having to wait until i get home to get it repaired!!!As long as we do not leave on a Friday the 13..maybe i will be ok!!I wish they had a dentist office on board as well as a Dr.:D:D

 

 

When we were staying Key Biscayne pre Princess cruise a couple of years ago my DW had a fractured tooth and needed a root canal. Ship left Sun so I spent Sat morning looking for an emerg dentist to do a temp. Finaly did....

I wish they had one on board too but I don't think they could justify it. :)

[ECCruise]

Don't know if they still do, but HAL used to have Dentists on many of their sailings.

[paul929207]

Most cruise lines have one or more dentists in the ports they can refer you to.

[rundent]

First off, a dentist is a doctor. As you might figure out from my name "rundent" I am a dentist, that runs. I'll give you some advise anyway. There's a good chance that if the tooth doesn't hurt, you wont be doing any harm in waiting a little while. If nothing else at least get it looked at to make sure that there isn't a time-bomb ready to go off when you hit the gangway. Of course, nothing is guaranteed. Hope I've helped.

[Toto2Kansas]

Most cruise lines have one or more dentists in the ports they can refer you to.

I agree with Paul on this one. If you have a dental problem, contact the pursers desk and they can make an appt for you at the next port.

[Ethel5]

I agree with Paul on this one. If you have a dental problem, contact the pursers desk and they can make an appt for you at the next port.

 

A friend of mine had to have an emergency repair to her denture in Cozumel. The ship made the arrangements and she thought the treatment was wonderful and reasonable too! The dental assistant actually drove them back to the ship because the plate would take some time at the lab and then she picked them up to take them back to the dentist. My friend said it was service above and beyond anything she would have gotten in the states!

[ancldaca]

I can see it coming: "Yeah boss, I need 5 sick days to get my teeth done on the MV Lazaret of the Seas"...

 

Well, there's a ton of medical tourism in this world already so why not a medical cruise ship? Almost makes sense and would be a good way to extend the life of older ships. You'd probably lose the theater space to the back-of-the-house labs and what not but I think it would be do-able. However, I doubt I'd like to be on the dentist's chair in 40 foot seas...

[Times Prince]

Had a tooth break during a layover in Chicago going to Rome and my Grand Princess Aegean and Egypt tour. :eek: I visited the doctor's office once onboard, and was told they have a listing of dentists at most ports (except for some small Greek islands) if needed. They could prescibe pain relievers if needed, but were not equipped or trained for dentistry.

 

Not having an exposed nerve I was able to wait until after the cruise. I did change my chewing habits during the cruise to avoid further stress on that tooth.

[Nebr.cruiser]

We are just off the Caribbean Princess and one of our dinner partners was a dentist from Missouri who had been asked to act as the dentist on one of their cruises. However, he was to be the dentist for the crew. He didn't take Princess up on the offer because he was required to bring all his own equipment and supplies and didn't want the hassle.

 

With 1500 crew members, as many as a small town, it's possible that dentists are sometimes provided; don't know if they would help passengers out also.

[Pam in CA]

I too have had a tooth break while on a cruise and I'm guessing this is a pretty common occurance. In my case, it was on day #2 of a 15-day HI cruise. Fortunately, I had a large filling in the tooth and the nerve wasn't exposed so I wasn't in any discomfort and got it fixed as soon as I got home.

[DrivesLikeMario]

Friends of ours had to have their son's badly chipped tooth repaired while in San Juan on a HOLIDAY weekend. Not only did the dentist get them in right away, he fixed the tooth really well and charged them next to nothing!

 

Next time I need a lot of dental work done, I think I'll head to the Caribbean! lol

[kodiac]

Would be a nice excuse for the boss. However, I don't know how I would feel about a dentist drilling while rocking and rolling on the water.

[manmtnmike]

I'm sailing Jan 10, and I 'm headed to my dentist this Fri to fix a fractured tooth... It only makes sense that if you know you may have a problem with a fragile tooth condition...

 

Don't leave it to chance to possibly steal from the enjoyment of your vacation, and the concern about "iffy" dental care.

 

"An ounce of prevention..."

 

Mike

[Nan1052]

Here's a suggestion for an item to go on your packing list - orthodontic wax. You can buy this in the supermarket or drug store. It's soft and can be molded to fit if you break a tooth or filling and need something to cover the area that's sensitive until you can get to a dentist.

 

Nancy

[Toto2Kansas]

Here's a suggestion for an item to go on your packing list - orthodontic wax. You can buy this in the supermarket or drug store. It's soft and can be molded to fit if you break a tooth or filling and need something to cover the area that's sensitive until you can get to a dentist.

 

Nancy

 

Nancy, what a great idea. I had never thought of that. And my granddaughter left hers in the cabinet since she now wears braces. Might just have to borrow it and put it in the emergency medical kit, just in case. Thanks for the idea! ;)

[critterchick]

I have a broken wisdom tooth - have no idea how it happened! We leave in a week, and I'm seeing the dentist on Thursday. I have no idea what he'll want to do, but he'll have to do it quickly!:eek:

[LRATL]

Two years ago on a Princess Cruise to New England/Canada, we boarded the ship in New York with a day at sea before Halifax. With no warning before leaving home nor on the flight to NY, I had a tooth abscess during the night of our boarding. I was in horrible pain, which came on suddenly and after visiting the ship's doctor spent the entire sea day in bed with heavy medication provided by the doctor. She, the doctor, told me that when we docked in Halifax, she would have an appointment for me at a local dentist's office and would make the arrangements. When we docked, there was a driver waiting for me who drove me to the dentist's office; he came back and picked me up after the dentist extracted the tooth. The dentist assured me it could not be saved. The driver, a nice young man, came back and took me to the grocery/pharmacy across from the ship terminal for me to get prescriptions for pain and an antibiotic and then drove me back to the ship. When I asked the driver for his fee, he told me I owed him nothing....that it was a service provided by the ship. I assure you I tipped him well. All I can say is that I can attest to a wonderful service provided by Princess. The dentist's fees were rather expensive, but to my amazement, I sent in the invoice from the dentist to my insurance company, and they paid every penny. After those two awful days in pain, I had a wonderful cruise.....

 

Sorry for the lengthy explanation, but felt it necessary to let you know how compassionate and accommodating the ship's personnel were. The dentist was also terrific.

 

Laura

[Toto2Kansas]

I have a broken wisdom tooth - have no idea how it happened! We leave in a week, and I'm seeing the dentist on Thursday. I have no idea what he'll want to do, but he'll have to do it quickly!:eek:

 

It will be gone before you know it, and within a day or two you won't even remember it being there. Dentists don't usually mess with Wisdom Teeth, they just take them out. Good luck!

[james j feller]

CHITTERCHICK,

 

The "yanks are coming".

 

Not so bad you won't feel a thing, just had two pulled within a week of each other.

 

JIM

[critterchick]

It will be gone before you know it, and within a day or two you won't even remember it being there. Dentists don't usually mess with Wisdom Teeth, they just take them out. Good luck!

 

Will I be stupid later?:eek::D

[w&k]

Last spring, I woke up with a sensitive tooth about a week before an 11-day southern caribbean cruise. We had several days of diving scheduled, and tooth squeeze is quite painful. I was able to get in to see my Dentist before we left, and after a thorough exam, he could see nothing wrong.

 

However, just in case, he gave me scrips for pain and an antibiotic just in case something more happened on the trip, so I could make it through until I got home. Luckily, the discomfort went away in a couple more days.

 

Critterchick - I hope you have everything resolved before you go, but it might be a good idea for you to ask your Dentist for something just in case.

 

Have a wonderful time!

 

Wendy

[wizard-of-roz]

Laura: Thanks for the information. It's always good to know how these things are handled.

I have SEVERE "DENTAL PHOBIA!" My dentist, litereally, has to pre-sedate me just to go in to see her....."Better living through chemestry!" :o

[don2738]

Most broken teeth that do not immediately hurt are not serious, just sensitive to air / cold / sweets. You can cover the exposed area with orthodontic wax as previously mentioned, or apply a do it yourself temporary. I've had a few patients come in that used this or a similar product, with good results. This kit pictured is from the Walgreen's website.

 

The one below, Walmart:

[chisoxfan]

You might also look for a product called Dent Temp -it is sold at Walgreens. It is a temporary filling material that you can mix up. It is very similar to what a dentist might use. It can replace a missing filling or 'reglue' a crown. Very strong stuff.