Diving With An Expander?

[roy2323]

So I'm getting certified in a couple weeks to go on a trip over spring break. I have braces and an expander, basically a metal square that sits in the middle of the top of my mouth. You can look up pics if you want, I don't want to post any gross pics of a mouth haha.

I know braces are no problem for diving, and my ortho said that there is no reason medically that I can't dive with the expander. His only two concerns is to make sure it doesn't interfere with the mouthpiece and that biting down on it will be make my mouth really sore really quickly (it's pretty much sore all the time tbh).

I've done a quick search, and this seems to be kind of an obscure issue. Anyone have any recommendations?

 

[tbone1004]

not an orthodontist or a doctor, but did have a palate expander.

1. If he says there is no reason that you medically can't dive with one, then happy days.
2. it should have rings on your back molars with potentially a brace going forward. Unless you use something like a Seacure mouthpiece that goes all the way back there, the normal mouthpieces won't get that far back. If you use Apeks/Aqualung Comfobites, there is a potential that the mouthpiece will come in contact with the "guts" of the expander in the top of your palate. You'll know that immediately. If you're renting gear which it sounds like you are, just put the mouthpiece in your mouth in the dive shop.
3. You should NEVER bite down on a scuba mouthpiece. It's bad for you and bad for the mouthpiece. You should have just enough pressure on the mouthpiece to keep it from falling out, no more. It's not a mouthguard.

 

[roy2323]

Yeah, he says I'm good, mainly looking at comfort.

Okay, I've never had a scuba mouthpiece in, so I wasn't sure how far back it went.

That's good to know about biting down, I thought you pretty much would have to bite down continuously to keep it in your mouth.

 

[tbone1004]

Yeah, he says I'm good, mainly looking at comfort.

Okay, I've never had a scuba mouthpiece in, so I wasn't sure how far back it went.

That's good to know about biting down, I thought you pretty much would have to bite down continuously to keep it in your mouth.

Some stop at your canines, others go as far back as you have teeth, but most of them start around where your molars start. You may have some interference depending on your specific mouth shape/size and which specific mouthpieces they have on the regulators, but you should be ok