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Old 06-06-2017, 09:07   #1
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Dentist in South Pacific?

I have a wisdom tooth starting to bother me and if it continues it might need to be extracted. I guess sometimes an oral surgeon is require.

Either way, I'm at Bora Bora now, and heading toward American Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, Australia (Cairns). I'm guessing that Australia would be the best bet, but that's a couple months away.

Thanks
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Old 06-06-2017, 09:45   #2
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Re: Dentist in South Pacific?

Papeete would be the closest with reasonably assurable decent care.

If you need a suggestion for a dentist in Papeete, Pago or Apia send me a PM and I'll ask the guys there.

I generally wouldn't try a dentist in Tonga or Fiji. Probably same w/ Vanuatu.
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Old 06-06-2017, 10:43   #3
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Re: Dentist in South Pacific?

The French have terrible dental care compared to the USA, so I would try American Samoa. In Tonga or Fiji, you may not get a new needle for the anesthetic.
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Old 06-06-2017, 11:33   #4
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Re: Dentist in South Pacific?

Ok, sounds good. Thanks

If I'm in really bad shape when I arrive in Pago I'll ask around, or even consider a flight to somewhere close.

I'm leaving BoraBora in a few days, so I have about 2 weeks to see what happens.
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Old 06-06-2017, 12:45   #5
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Re: Dentist in South Pacific?

Tooth pain can be debilitating. Not something you want to deal with offshore. If you are willing to fly somewhere, Air NZ usually has some decent priced flights out of the islands. I had a root-canal done in NZ.
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Old 06-06-2017, 13:43   #6
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Re: Dentist in South Pacific?

Smearing clove oil on the tooth will give you surprising temporary relief.
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Old 06-06-2017, 13:49   #7
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Re: Dentist in South Pacific?

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Originally Posted by donradcliffe View Post
The French have terrible dental care compared to the USA, so I would try American Samoa. In Tonga or Fiji, you may not get a new needle for the anesthetic.
We may have decent dental care, but only if you can afford it. I am shocked at the care displayed by the general public in this neck of the woods. Perhaps it's a preference for meth or crack. Who knows.
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Old 06-06-2017, 14:55   #8
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Re: Dentist in South Pacific?

We had cleanings at a dentist in Fiji recommended by other cruisers. Don't know about fillings/extractions but the cleaning was good.

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Old 06-06-2017, 15:12   #9
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Re: Dentist in South Pacific?

Wisdom teeth "bother" can escalate to "unbearable" in just a few days. At least mine did. I wouldn't undertake a passage without having it taken care of.
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Old 06-06-2017, 15:32   #10
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Re: Dentist in South Pacific?

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Wisdom teeth "bother" can escalate to "unbearable" in just a few days. At least mine did. I wouldn't undertake a passage without having it taken care of.
Toddster8, yours is a prudent point of view.

If the poster is determined to go elsewhere, make sure you have enough antibiotics aboard to keep down the infection, should it develop. With a high fever, you may even hallucinate, it is a desperately dangerous spot for a singlehander.

I'd recommend having it extracted before you leave Papeete. French nationals can do volunteer locums there, in place of military service, and you can get well trained doctors of all kinds, and usually, there is someone who has enough English to help you get by. I have received emergency services both in Papeete and in New Caledonia, which is the basis for my statement.

Sometimes the roots are all wound around the jaw, and sometimes ankylosed, so the extraction can be difficult. If finances allow, fly to Australia and have it done in a capital city. It will be frightfully expensive, but there are good dentists around... I have a guy in Hobart, Tasmania I would recommend, if you want that.

If you have insurance valid in the States, you could also fly back there, if it would fit for you. Your body in good condition is what you need for cruising. If you want it to take good care of you, you must help it sometimes.

Good luck with it.



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Old 06-06-2017, 15:52   #11
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Re: Dentist in South Pacific?

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I'm guessing that Australia would be the best bet,
Hi there,

If you do wait until you get to Cairns, you'll find that dentists here are expensive. Many of us have our teeth done at James Cook University - it will most likely be a year 4 or 5 dental student under the watchful eye of a supervising professor. Always very diligent but you must be prepared to spend a long time there. It still costs at the uni, but perhaps half the price of other dentists around here. When you get to Cairns you can call the free number 1800 050 763.

Failing that I have a good set of pliers.

Cheers

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Old 07-06-2017, 10:16   #12
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Re: Dentist in South Pacific?

In regards to tooth pain, things can escalate very rapidly. In 2005 I left Bellingham Washington on the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry Headed to Haines AK. This was a 6 day voyage. Just like you, my upper molar was slightly bothering me prior to departure. Within the first day the tooth pain became sever to the point that any movement or vibration sent spikes of pain thru my head. From that point on the pain intensified to the point that I was completely debilitated. I cannot adequately describe the pain because words fall short. I couldn't sleep, eat, nor drink for the remaining 4 days. Nothing helped alleviate the pain. Any over the counter pain relievers were ineffective. Luckily, I had nice cabin and a traveling companion to help me do the basics. Being trapped on a boat without dental medical facilities was miserable. Another 4 days had to pass in a motel room in Haines till the only dentist in town returned from vacation. That first shot of Novocaine was heavenly. I walked out of the dentist office minus one tooth and feeling like a million bucks.
Don't neglect your dental care. I shudder to think of the possibility of making passage in less than ideal conditions, alone on a sailboat. Managing personal needs with tooth pain in the "lap of luxury" like I did was difficult enough.
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Old 07-06-2017, 16:09   #13
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Re: Dentist in South Pacific?

Thanks for all the responses. I've had similar pain from a wisdom tooth before but haven't had anything bother me in the past 3yrs so I didn't bother with them.

The good news now is that the pain and discomfort are subsiding as quickly as it came. I do have a decent amount of amoxicillin and pain meds on board to make it a week or more if I had to. I'll keep monitoring it and see if I can wait until Australia or even a flight to NZ if sooner.

Maybe a flight to NZ from Australia if I have enough time and a place to put the boat. I would like to do a short trip there anyway... is the marina in Cairns a good place to leave a boat for a week, or go around and fly out of Darwin?

Thanks again all.
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Old 07-06-2017, 16:32   #14
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Re: Dentist in South Pacific?

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The French have terrible dental care compared to the USA, so I would try American Samoa. In Tonga or Fiji, you may not get a new needle for the anesthetic.
Never knew you needed a needle to drink the bottle of rum?
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Old 08-06-2017, 07:43   #15
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Re: Dentist in South Pacific?

Get the antibiotic Amoxicillin just in case you need to stave off an abscess. My wife had terrible toothache on passage once. On the third day I gave her the Amoxicillin and it had started to get better within 15 hours. It kept the problem at bay until we could find a suitable a few weeks later.
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