Wisdom teeth.

[Talk Wrench]

Just a question following a trip to the dentist today.

I was asked if the lack of wisdom teeth was down to problems with them in my younger days.

My answer was that the RAF had them compulsorily removed.(Possibly)

I seem to remember a ward full of fellow victims at RAF Wroughton hospital who's wizzies had met the same fate.

Does it still happen today?

 

[Forestfan]

Never heard of that, but never had to have mine out; 30+ years!

 

[muttywhitedog]

I had 3 taken out whilst at Lossiemouth around 1997. It was performed by a visiting dental surgeon, so there were quite a few done. I do recall that the x-ray showed at least one of the three was growing 90 degrees in the wrong direction and I pretty much said to the dentist "get rid of it".

 

[Deltaitem]

Didn't happen to me when I was in, and it definitely wouldn't happen in civvy street, now.
I don't know that there are any military hospitals left anymore, but if there were, my money would be on it not happening now even in the military.
Back in the day it was a thing right across the board, even NHS. If women had surgery done and were of a certain age, for example, and were booked in for any type of abdo surgery, they'd often be given a hysterectomy simply because the surgeon was in there at the time, and then the patient was told about it afterwards. The theory at the time was that they were pre-empting problems and sorting them out in advance, whether you knew about it or not.
Appendixes also, tended to be removed on sight, healthy or not, and whether or not that was the reason for the operation.
Nowadays, you need to be told exactly what's going to happen and things only proceed if you give consent, and quite right too.
The exception being life and death emergencies, but again, the surgeon should explain what could go wrong and the likely scenarios beforehand.

 

[Flumpdaddy]

I had 3 pulled whilst in trade training but only because they were causing issues, hence one being left in place.

I think I was in a military part of Peterborough hospital as it had to be done under general anesthetic. Other than clinical placements I think Birmingham is the only hospital with a large military presence now

 

[Downsizer]

Never heard of compulsary removal, ever.

Had 3 out because they were causing pain.

 

[Tin basher]

Never heard of compulsary removal, ever.

Heard it many times but don't give it much credence.
It was usually in the crew room or at a beer call where someones mate at another unit knew that a bloke had them taken out by the RAF as policy. I reckon it's one of those enduring crew room myths that resurfaces from time to time.

 

[Talk Wrench]

Never heard of compulsary removal, ever.

Had 3 out because they were causing pain.

I honestly can't remember why mine had to come out but I do remember being told I was being sent to Wroughton to have it done under general anaesthetic.

I remember being in the hospital though, for other reasons alone. Whilst I was in the recovery ward, I was able to pop upstairs to another ward for a few chats with an armourer colleague who was alive recovering after only just surviving a very nasty Tornado ejection seat incident.

 

[Fu Fu Valve]

I was sent all the way from Lossiemouth to the lovely place that was Haslar Naval Hospital to have mine removed after an annual dental visit around 2002/3.
I had no problem with them, no pain there was just a bit of cheek biting as they had a growth spurt around the time of annual check up.
3 days off work for a trip from one end of the country to the other, got there and surgeon took one look in my gob and asked why i was there!
Then he had a nurse feed me as he refused to operate on me when there was no need to, he called the SDO at Lossie and gave her a bollocking down the phone and had me hand deliver a letter to her when i got back.
Still got them and they're causing issues now

 

[J Y Kelly]

Defiantly a thing in the early 80's. MT to Wroughton early Tuesday morning, X Ray and pre-med . Wednesday, I was one of 7 in for surgery, all Wisdom Teeth. Thursday, recovery and checked over. Friday Morning MT to Swindon with a Rail Warrant, mouthwash and antibiotics.

 

[jti]

Had mine taken out back in 1998ish, one was like mwd’s, 90 deg out of true. Can’t remember why the others had to come out.

 

[vim_fuego]

I was told one had to come out at Cranwell. This brute of a Welshman knocked me out and when I awoke it was gone and I had a sore arse...must have been the chair I was in?

 

[4mastacker]

The dentist at Marham suggested I had them removed when I went for the annual check-up. When I asked why - they had never bothered me before - he said "In case they cause you problems later or on deployment". I replied "Well they're not causing me any problems, but if they do, I'll let you know......sir". Still got them 30 years later.

I remember several of my colleagues had similar conversations with this particular dentist - don't know if was policy or just the dentist on a crusade; I have a suspicion that as the RAF was starting to become very expeditionary operations focused, it may have been a plan to remove wisdom teeth to avoid any dental issues for personnel deployed to sandy, dentist-free zones..