Dentists

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi All.
I had an awful tooth ache just before we went alongside in Mena Al Ahmadi in the 50s, was put in a taxi with a guard, taken to one of the most modern hospitals I had ever seen. The dentist {English} stuck the needle in waited a few moments then started pulling the tooth, the next thing he was screaming at me to open my mouth, puzzled I opened it and he pulled his hand out with deep teeth marks in his fingers, he made me wait some more while the injection took effect, serve the bastard right. The guard was to stop me walking anywhere no one was allowed ashore there. I never paid for it must have been the company.
The other week I had a tooth ache from pieces of tooth left in my gum by an incompetent dentist 20 years ago, went to the local dentist a lovely Swedish girl, she showed me the pieces
on the computer, sat down then got up I said how long will it take she said it's done, never felt a thing, what a difference 60 years make.
Cheers DEs

[John Pruden]

well after a month my new dentures will be ready Tuesday so its back to steaks again I am wasting away been like gabby hayes the past weeks ?jp

[john sutton]

Many years ago my dentist told me to beware of the Australian trench.Apparantly many newly qualified aussie dentists spent a few years in London and would get work with unscrupulous dental practices who paid commission on the amount of chargable work done.Everyone who went into the chair had a load of fillings done whether they needed them or not.I believe this practice has now been stamped out

[John Pruden]

JOHN in the 60s I had 4 fillings half way across the Atlantic they fell out in agony one of the old ABs SAM GRAHAM had gutter pasha in his slop chest and filled them for me on getting to yokohama visited the dentist climbed into the chair he put the mask over my mouth no smell well different country so then he climbed on my knees and started pulling?? wow I said to him? you sit there I change bottle? the gas bottle was empty I was out that chair like a two bob rocket but the filling lasted months until I got back home..jp

[john walker]

I had to visit a dentist in Bluff/Invercargill with toothache in the mid 70's. The sympathetic Kiwi dentist told me that the shipping company only paid for extractions and not for fillings, which was a disgrace as the tooth needed filling and not extracting. After a short discussion he decided to drill and fill the tooth, but to bill the company for TWO extractions. Job done and I still have the tooth (Not many others) today

[John Arton]

I had to visit a dentist in Bluff/Invercargill ---. Job done and I still have the tooth (Not many others) today

This is quite common these days. Many companies will not pay for fillings as they consider that requiring fillings means you have not looked after your teeth and as stated before to get the ENG1 medical cert, which has the same medical requirements as any other Countries Seafarers medical fitness standards, you have to show that your teeth are in good nick at the time of the medical.
rgds
JA

[David Bridgen]

Many years ago my dentist----has now been stamped out

I had the same experience in Chile, where I was resident for four years. Quite a bit of uncesessary work carried out.

[Richard Quartermaine]

Re#19:
John, as I first joined a Port Line ship Lowlander in January '47 in Oz I was entitled to repatriation but as she returned to Oz I was paid off. It's a long story but I was still fifteen when I signed on an hour before sailing time. I then joined SS&A Raranga in Sydney and paid off in London, got five quid a month for four months having a ball and was then given a job back to Sydney on the Moreton Bay. Eighteen months on Australian ships and in November 1949 shipped out on the Port Saint John to South Shields and surrendered my repatriation contract for a British discharge book in 1950 which I certainly never regretted.
Richard

[Lou Barron]

It was on the G/Castle that i got very bad tooth ache we had been at sea about ten days when i got it .It was driving mad so off to the doctor (WE had one).
Anyhow he sat me in a chair so i said to him have you done this before he said no but i am keen to learn i bloody near bolted .So he got one of the stewards to hold me down and he gave me a injection after a few minutes the all of my face went numb then he started on me it was not to bad but when the injection wore off the it got painful .He gave me the tooth and i put in a match box so maybe Davey Jones could have it

[John Arton]

www.legislation.gov.hk/.../1D3061BC86BEBC35482564AC0008B64D
The above link is the Medical Scales for Hong Kong Registered ships which are the same as those for U.K. registered ships.
There is quite and extensive section for dental care but looking at it I'm bloody glad I never had to treat anyone's dental problems at sea as staring down the mouths of hairy arsed seamen is not my idea of fun, nor could I ever have been a dentist for the same reason. Staring down the mouths of bad breath patients all day is not my idea of a job plus I'm not sadistic enough to be a dentist. How many times have you heard them say "this won't hurt at all" to be followed immediately by intense pain as he proceeds to drill or extract.
rgds
JA