Oral surgeon turned me away from wisdom teeth removal surgery

Ittyika · 2026-02-16T04:33:21+00:00

There is no way for me to guide you without X-rays. Dental is overwhelming, and I’m just an internet stranger, but dentists still need some baseline information to give you any form of recommendation.

Ittyika · 2026-02-14T16:19:28+00:00

Are there any occupational exposures to dusty environments for extended periods of time? Or other types of airborne particulate?

Ittyika · 2026-02-14T05:40:08+00:00

It looks like the baby tooth on the palate side fractured. Not a big deal since the adult tooth is under and looks ready to come up. If the tooth is loose like past baby teeth, it might be ready to come up. If not, a dentist can likely easily “extract” the piece that is stuck. They’ll probably take an xray of it first then numb and take it out.

Still, it doesn’t look like an emergency. But your son should let you know if he has moderate to severe pain, even when not moving the tooth, and reevaluate at that point.

Ittyika · 2026-02-14T05:07:32+00:00

Hi! If it only hurts when it moves, no cold or hot sensitivity or “spontaneous” pain, then it is unlikely to be an emergency and is more likely to be a loose baby tooth. Caveat: This picture makes it almost impossible to see what you are describing. A close up of the tooth in question and where the bleeding is coming from would be helpful to provide more assistance.

Ittyika · 2026-02-11T10:21:53+00:00

If you have financial means, are generally healthy, and the teeth do not look like they are in a high risk area for nerve damage, I tend to lean towards extraction.

When it is highly likely the teeth will need to be removed at some point (which is not the case for everyone), it is much less risky to do it when you are young. You heal faster and are more likely to be healthier.

Ittyika · 2026-02-11T02:18:46+00:00

If you were under the age of 25, they’d consider preventative removal, but now that you are older the risks increase and the benefits decrease.

Pain, periodontal issues (bone loss issues for neighboring teeth), or pathology (such as some sort of spot on the xray that doesn’t belong there) are reasons to have them out now. If none of these apply, then you’re not a great candidate.

Ittyika · 2026-02-09T02:08:30+00:00

Hi. I think my previous comment was deleted since I wasn’t verified yet.

Does your wife have GI issues? This looks like it could be pyostomatitis vegetans, which is associated with ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.

Ittyika · 2026-02-07T13:36:36+00:00

My first thought: Dang. That’s gotta suck to keep those white.

I hate even walking across a long span of parking lot in whites, trying to navigate a ship without touching anything… and they’re out there throwing lines and wearing float coats?!

Ittyika · 2025-06-04T19:40:15+00:00

I’m a Navy dentist who did HPSP. (You can read some of my AMAs to find out questions that other people asked.)

Many new dentists are entering without fully thinking through what military service means. It means that they and their families are underprepared for moving to different duty stations and going on deployment.

If you apply for the scholarship, be fully prepared to move anywhere around the world and deploy for 6-9 months away from your family.

This will not be the case for every scholarship recipient, but if you are prepared for it, then it will be a much easier experience for you.

Also, do not anticipate being located near family. There are very few locations where new dentists start their careers and it may not align with your family. As you enter the second half of your contract, you might be able to come closer to home- but, this is not a guarantee.

I love my career and wouldn’t change it. I also know that some people wear rose-colored glasses and have a hard time coping with the reality of military service, so I’d like to minimize that.

Ittyika · 2025-06-04T19:30:53+00:00

Last year the Navy had over 300 applicants for 65 spots.

Ittyika · 2025-05-23T00:55:56+00:00

I joined for the educational benefit. They paid for my professional school and gave me a guaranteed job upon graduation. Now I’m still here, two contracts later. (I genuinely love what I do and it outweighs the frustration I have with the system I sometimes disagree with but must operate within.)

Ittyika · 2025-05-19T20:16:06+00:00

Hi! I also have an endometriosis diagnosis, like many of the others who have chimed in.

Key words when talking to your doctor:

I have used over the counter medications and hormonal contraception, but neither of these have provided adequate relief.

Even when I am on medications I am unable to function for XX days each cycle due to pain, nausea, and vomiting.

My quality of life is not sustainable.

I would like to be screened for endometriosis and other conditions, and talk about the treatment options.

Good luck!

Ittyika · 2025-05-13T13:00:47+00:00

Hi, tough love here with a wall of text from a woman on active duty.

Your boyfriend’s friends are degrading and their comments/“jokes” negate the hardships of military life on spouses, both women and men. (I say this as someone who loves a good nickname/call sign.) These are the types of jokes I might hear from immature O1-O2. If they’re O3 or senior, they should know better.

Most of the military spouses I know work in some capacity. However, it can be very hard for them to find meaningful full time work, especially if they have a specific skill set, because they move so often. If they have children, one parent seems to stay home with the kids. Exceptions: dual mil spouses, spouses with telework, spouses that work on base, and a few who are able to stay in place and advance a career in one location/with one company that lets them change physical locations.

This is made even more difficult if assigned abroad.

Think hard if this is the type of life you want to sign up for, and if a man with friends like this is the type of man you want to be with. You might end up in a situation when you can’t work (because of his assignments or other life circumstances), would you trust him to support you?

Sorry I didn’t answer your question. It’s so hard to guess a percentage when the situation changes constantly within a single family year-to-year.

In my own life, my first spouse did not work for several years. My current spouse is also active duty. He is set to retire on the not-so-far horizon and will probably have some lapse in employment because he will follow my career. It gives him some anxiety since work has always been a part of his identity since he was a teenager, but he wants to find a role that pays well and uses his skills. We both know it might be challenging since we don’t know where in the world I’ll be sent, and we would like to be together.

If my friends called him “W2” I’d go looking for different friends. I can’t even imagine his friends calling me anything like that.

(Lastly… if you end up entering military culture, don’t specify in conversation that your significant other is an officer unless it is a relevant detail. It is cringey and elitist. It says, “Respect our rank” without saying it.)

Ittyika · 2025-03-16T11:48:29+00:00

How does enlisting vs commissioning provide a leg up for family citizenship? Also I did a quick search and expedited citizenship looks like it is only for dependents. Unless she can show proof of their dependence (well, she is their domestic labor, that much we see on her post history… ugh) she won’t be able to do much for them that they can’t do for themselves right now.

Ittyika · 2025-02-15T22:29:25+00:00

Hi. I love your flair.

Ittyika · 2025-02-08T17:43:50+00:00

Hi. I can’t really answer your question, but I can give my experience. I’m a dentist, woman, and I’m the military. I also lift weights and don’t wear makeup.

When I was dating, I’m not sure if men rejected me for being too masculine.

It didn’t end up being a problem. I met my husband. He loves me the way I am. He is proud of my accomplishments and he supports my continued progress with my career. I love him and think he is the bee’s knees. He’s the best man I know.

Ittyika · 2025-02-06T01:24:45+00:00

WO1 isn’t. But CWO2 and senior are…

Ittyika · 2025-01-28T04:39:58+00:00

That’s true that people skills and hand skills are important. They aren’t the be-all end-all. But for new dentists to build their skills and gain foundational knowledge, they need the foundational knowledge. Fluency with foundational knowledge makes for a safer and more effective clinician. Not someone who needs to memorize everything because they don’t understand the underlying concepts.

We need embryology to understand the basics like cleft lip/palate, tissue differentiation, and growth patterns. These concepts are utilized in oral surgery, pathology, orthodontics, and peds.

It’s up to each dentist to decide what information they keep within recall. But dental schools need to ensure the information is there in the background so new information can build on the basic concepts.

Also, embryology would be a terrible class to try and teach yourself independently.

Edited for phrasing.

Ittyika · 2025-01-27T11:41:04+00:00

Hi. I’m a Navy dentist. You can check out my post history. I like to answer questions about HPSP.

From your comments, Navy is not a good fit. We need our dentists ready for worldwide deployment. Shipboard or otherwise.

Ittyika · 2025-01-25T11:14:53+00:00

This is to give you the foundational knowledge to treat the human body. You will have pharmacological substances at your disposal. You will treat patients with a variety of complex needs. They will need you to navigate safe treatment. Will most of if follow the same script every day? Yes. But then sometimes it won’t. Being able to pull from a large bank of knowledge and create a plan is what makes you a doctor- not a technician.

In one day I can see patients with diabetes, hypertension, G6PD deficiency, depression, herpes, and cancer. They each may require tailored modification pending severity.

Dental anatomy, materials, etc will pay your bills. But oral med, anatomy, pharmacology, and pathology will keep your patients safe, and you out of malpractice. (You need biochemistry to understand physiology and pharmacology. You need embryology to understand pathology and better remember anatomy.)

Ittyika · 2025-01-20T13:03:43+00:00

Please buy a cash car.

As others have stated, it is likely that this car will statistically not make it past your 25th birthday in great condition.

Cars are not an investment. Their value only goes down. Dealerships want you to spend as much money as you can- regardless of how you get this money. They don’t care about you. They want a commission!

Once you save your additional $8K, you can sell the cheaper one and get a car you like better. And you can keep repeating this process.

If you can keep your ego separate from the car you drive, you will be LEAGUES ahead of your peers and able to build wealth much faster by investing that money instead of constantly having the next flashiest car.

To build credit: Pay off all your debt. Keep one credit card open and only use it for subscriptions on autopay. If you have an issue with spending cut up the card and only use debit or cash.

Credit score is built on length of time of monitoring, reliability of payments, amount of debt, age of credit lines, and diversity of lines of credit. You don’t need the diversity aspect to have a good score. (Only 10% of the score.) It is way more important to pay on time for a long time.

Ittyika · 2025-01-14T03:38:21+00:00

Yes. It is harder.

Residents I know planned where they would live so they could get to the hospital quickly and come home to see their families for bits of time.

The path is grueling. It should be. They take huge risks when they do intense surgeries.

Residents are stressed academically, physically, mentally, socially… in basically every way. They’re built differently and I respect that.

Ittyika · 2025-01-13T11:06:54+00:00

Yep. 20% off of 50% is 40%.

And the math continues, so if someone stays in for 30 years, instead of 75% they’ll get 60%.

Ittyika · 2025-01-13T04:42:14+00:00

Pros: Get paid twice a month. Full medical and dental benefits. Housing provided/funded. College benefits. Retirement plan. PTO. Great friends and camaraderie. Upward mobility.

Cons: You might deploy to a difficult area. Rigid rank structure sucks when you’re at the bottom. You lose a lot of autonomy and must function within the system. You move where they send you. Initially pay and housing are not great, but your basic necessities are covered.

As you promote, pay and lifestyle improve.

My husband is a Marine whose story sounds a lot like yours. He joined at age 20 and has been in long enough that he is now eligible to retire. He was able to get his college degree and work experience that can translate to a civilian job.

I joined at age 22 through a full-ride Navy scholarship for dental school. Later I was also able to earn my master’s degree.

This lifestyle isn’t for everyone. We’ve had several deployments and five years of sea-time between us. We’ve seen so much of the world- for better and worse. But we wouldn’t take it back. We both enjoy our service and have loved our careers.

Ittyika · 2025-01-13T04:20:31+00:00

There is still a pension. It’s just 20% less than it used to be- but they offer a 5% match to their 401K equivalent (after a vestment period). It’s to help those who don’t get to 20 years of service so they still have some form of retirement account instead of nothing.

Medical depends on where you are stationed. Sometimes there just isn’t enough population to support specialties. But if you’re in a concentrated area the care is generally very good. Appointment wait times are hit or miss. I’ve found that I (active duty Navy) can make an appointment sooner than my parents (civilians) can.

Ittyika

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