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The Doctor is in! Ask a Flight Surgeon!

ccm02

New Member
Eggs with a mild allergy (itchiness in throat), currently getting allergist documentation for flight doc.
I’m not a doctor or a recruiter so take what I say with a grain of salt. But, I looked on some service academy forums about food allergy waivers and the most common thing that applicants had to do to get a waiver was to take and pass an oral food challenge which is when a healthcare provider exposes you to the allergen in small doses until you consume one full sized portion and they monitor your condition during that process. Again I’m not a doctor so if any doctors or people with food allergy waiver experience see this they could either confirm or deny my findings.
 

Nax

Member
Current primary student, does anyone know if I get Invisalign clear teeth aligners will that down me from flight? I saw a civilian orthodontist and they recommended I get them.
 

HSMPBR

Retired!
pilot
Current primary student, does anyone know if I get Invisalign clear teeth aligners will that down me from flight? I saw a civilian orthodontist and they recommended I get them.
I didn’t have any problems, but I kept my mouth shut (;)). Dental didn’t care—not that they ever do. Keep in mind you probably won’t be in the same location for the duration of treatment, so you might have to pay to transfer care from ortho to ortho.
 

Nax

Member
I didn’t have any problems, but I kept my mouth shut (;)). Dental didn’t care—not that they ever do. Keep in mind you probably won’t be in the same location for the duration of treatment, so you might have to pay to transfer care from ortho to ortho.
Did you get tricare to pay for it or did you pay out of pocket? I think I can make a case for tricare to pay for it out of "necessity"
 

ea6bflyr

Working Class Bum
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Current primary student, does anyone know if I get Invisalign clear teeth aligners will that down me from flight? I saw a civilian orthodontist and they recommended I get them.
No, but I don’t think you can fly with them in your mouth. I had several fellow aviators that went that route. Check with the flight doc as to the flying imitations.
 

HSMPBR

Retired!
pilot
Did you get tricare to pay for it or did you pay out of pocket? I think I can make a case for tricare to pay for it out of "necessity"
Out of pocket because it was just cosmetic. Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.

I flew with the aligners in—no problems. Also did fight club with them instead of mouthpiece since tooth alignment changes so much. I’d look with a judgmental eye at anything from aErOmEdIcAl people saying they are problematic to wear in flight.
 

Nax

Member
Spoke to flight doc about it today, so in case anyone wants a definitive answer. You will not get downed for Invisalign, but they did say to take it out for flight - to which I say: A) Why? Invisalign are essentially mouthguards at that point and are pretty durable. B) Whose gonna know?
 

ea6bflyr

Working Class Bum
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Spoke to flight doc about it today, so in case anyone wants a definitive answer. You will not get downed for Invisalign, but they did say to take it out for flight - to which I say: A) Why? Invisalign are essentially mouth guards at that point and are pretty durable. B) Whose gonna know?
I guess a better question for the flight doc is "what source document/instruction covers flight while wearing mouth guards?" I understand they want you to wear the mouth guards for 22 hours a day to be effective. How is a 2 hour hop without your Invisalign going to slow your mouth changes? Probably not much.
 

Nax

Member
I guess a better question for the flight doc is "what source document/instruction covers flight while wearing mouth guards?" I understand they want you to wear the mouth guards for 22 hours a day to be effective. How is a 2 hour hop without your Invisalign going to slow your mouth changes? Probably not much.
my thoughts exactly, orthodontist said 22-24 hrs a day with during sleep being most important, 2 hrs every other day probably wont change much (weather dependent), probably should of asked about source docs but its good enough for me
 

taxi1

Well-Known Member
pilot
my thoughts exactly, orthodontist said 22-24 hrs a day with during sleep being most important, 2 hrs every other day probably wont change much (weather dependent), probably should of asked about source docs but its good enough for me
If you wear it 20 hours one day, wear it 24 the next.
 

Empire16

Well-Known Member
So since I got a waiver for asthma they (NAMI) saw my PFT (asthma test) and records? So most likely I will get a waiver at OCS for this?
 

FormerRecruitingGuru

Making Recruiting Great Again
So since I got a waiver for asthma they (NAMI) saw my PFT (asthma test) and records? So most likely I will get a waiver at OCS for this?

Your entire meps record, including medical documentation is sent to OCS. They / NAMI will look at all that.

I defer you to the NAMI guide to see if you meet aviation requirements.
 

Nax

Member
So since I got a waiver for asthma they (NAMI) saw my PFT (asthma test) and records? So most likely I will get a waiver at OCS for this?
I am currently in primary and I have an asthma waiver. I am only required to keep an inhaler on me at all times when I fly (not that I need or use it). It is entirely dependent on how severe your symptoms, if you have any, are. Your general service waiver will be handled at MEPS. They handled my waiver process after I graduated from OCS, and they sent me down to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington D.C. where they did a full battery of cardio-pulmonary tests, then sent it to NAMI.

Edit: After graduating OCS, I was kept in Student Pool there for a few months for the waiver process. NAMI takes time, unfortunately.
 
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