Help, please, just arrived Coz and need a dentist recommendation!

[brownie]

I arrived Coz on Sunday, Sept. 5. Today, Monday, I went for 2 dives. The 2nd dive was problematic in that the last 2 minutes while I was wrapping up a safety stop and doing a slow ascent to the surface, I experienced a very sharp pain in the upper left side of my mouth around a tooth and the gum. The pain lasted a few minutes, and subsided once I was out of the water.

Late this afternoon I went to the International Hospital on Calle 5(?) around the corner from Casa Mexicana. The dentist there took an X-ray, said I had a cracked filling and would need a root canal. I made a tentative appointment for this Wed. a.m. to have the root canal done. I forgot to ask him about the followup "crown". I am hoping I can leave that until I return to Canada on Sept. 19.

Any advice for me? Find another dental source? How long to stay out of the water after the procedure? Wait til I'm back home for a crown? Risk diving tomorrow and see "how it goes"?

 

[DandyDon]

Risk diving tomorrow and see "how it goes"?

I think your diving is over for this trip, but Ukmc suggest maybe not below. I think that root canals take two visits and a week to heal. It'll be be much cheaper in Cozumel than Canada I think.

 

[Ukmc]

I would ask your dentist, if it is ok to dive. My dentist told me it was ok to dive after emergent root canal and temporary crown because there was no air trapping the way they put it on. He gave me a permission to do it, but then my trip got cancelled because of COVID, so I do not have a practical experience with it.

 

[gqllc007]

Did the Dentist in Cozumel say if you had periapical pathology (PAP)? Did he say you have an infection? Did he put you on antibiotics? Will he do the root canal in one visit? Did he say what tooth number it was? Was it a molar? Does he know you are a diver?
If no infection, no PAP and he can do it in one visit and seal the canals with sealer and gutta percha then leave the access hole partly or open for air to escape (He can also close that access off completely as well with a post and core but not usually on the same day as RCT) and you aren't in pain then "most" likely you can dive again..also don't eat on that side for risk of further fracture....certainly not the day of the RCT.
There are a lot of variables....Did he say there was decay to the pulp/nerve of the tooth? Or just a fracture that there was no way for them to restore without a root canal?

 

[morecowbells]

I had a root canal done with temporary crown two days before diving. I had no issues. An active infection though, may be a game changer. Follow the advise of your dentist and hopefully you will get back in the water in a couple of days. In the US I have paid out the nose for crowns, and have heard Canada is even higher. I would look into getting one done in Cozumel or Cancun.

 

[brownie]

Did the Dentist in Cozumel say if you had periapical pathology (PAP)? Did he say you have an infection? Did he put you on antibiotics? Will he do the root canal in one visit? Did he say what tooth number it was? Was it a molar? Does he know you are a diver?
If no infection, no PAP and he can do it in one visit and seal the canals with sealer and gutta percha then leave the access hole partly or open for air to escape (He can also close that access off completely as well with a post and core but not usually on the same day as RCT) and you aren't in pain then "most" likely you can dive again..also don't eat on that side for risk of further fracture....certainly not the day of the RCT.
There are a lot of variables....Did he say there was decay to the pulp/nerve of the tooth? Or just a fracture that there was no way for them to restore without a root canal?

Thank you very much for these reference points. I have no pain now, and had none throughout the majority of both dives today, just at the very end of dive 2. I think I will dive tomorrow morning and see how it goes. My appointment is for Wednesday morning. I'll see how I feel throughout Tuesday--based on that and maybe a coin flip (joke) I will decide whether or not to go through with the dental appointment.

 

[Ukmc]

Good luck and post how things will play out.

 

[cozcharlie]

Sounds like you are playing it by ear, but I would do some research based on the name of the dentist at the hospital before doing serious dental work.

My friends seem to like a dentist named. Doctor Alejandra Novoa Carus. Her name randomly came up both from both Americans and Canadians in the past week so I am just throwing it out there for what it is worth. Actually googled her name and a 10 year old scubaboard post came up.

Just to be clear , the dentist at the hospital might be great —I have no idea . Just figured I would throw Alejandras name out there since her name came up a few times recently (I have heard her name over the years but just met her briefly for the first time last week when some American friends flagged her down as she was walking by introduced her as the best dentist on the island or something to that effect. ).

 

[Searcaigh]

FWIW I've had several root canal treatments in the past and continued to dive throughout the treatment albeit at weekends and probably not directly after a dental visit.

 

[brownie]

Thank you all so very much for your helpful input. I am here on my own in Cozumel (for 2 weeks) so it's especially affirming to have this support.

Here's where I am so far: I decided to do my 2-tanker this a.m. to see how I felt. Everything was fine--no pain, no discomfort at all. So I decided to cancel my Wednesday morning (tomorrow) appointment for a root canal and try to carry on with my dive itinerary for as long as I am comfortable to do so. I am apprehensive about any dental procedure, especially when I am travelling. Also, this will allow me some time to consider other dentists here--thank you @cozcharlie.

I've been away from diving for the past 18 months; I'm a little rusty so I hope to get my sea legs back soon.