Tooth Cavity and diving

[DivemasterDennis]

In my entire life, I have never been with nor heard about anyone having a "tooth squeeze" though the literature and training manuals say it can happen. This is not an issue about which you should have any concern. If any other scubaboarders out there have a "tooth squeeze" story, please tell us.
DivemasterDennis

 

[GDI]

Want to keep diving? Then go and get your teeth looked at by a dentist. Find one that knows diving if you need to be more comfortable. It's your health (and start flossing while your at it)

 

[vladodessit]

It's pretty difficult to trap air under a filling. Liquid-yes, if done improperly. Air-very unlikely. Stories about tooth pain and squeeze must've come out from non-dentist diagnosing the problem. I can see how some tooth with "dead nerve" (in layman terms) in need of a root canal could be nearly painless on the surface for quite a while and hurt under water due to compression of gases produced by anaerobic bacteria. Such event may happen after a filling is placed in a cavity that was too deep and actually required a root canal. My guess is this how the story about "air under filling" started.

BTW: temporary filling in an active cavity-very bad idea. Most of bacteria that causes "cavities" is anaerobic and "works" faster "under cover". Also, it is often happens that when you can spot "a small black spot" on the tooth it means that in reality that cavity is very large (and may already need a root canal or be close to it). Take care of it.

 

[Scubagolf]

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/diving-medicine/312029-tooth-pain-descents-fiji.html

A couple years ago I experienced tooth pain on descents while on a trip to Fiji. Turned out to be an air pocket caused by decay under an old crown. This is a thread I started at the time.

 

[Red fins]

What is the likelyhood that you will experience a tooth squeez?
I reakon you should get the tooth fixed and if in the unlikely event the you do experience a tooth squeez deal with it then.
otherwise youll have a painfull tooth all the time not just "maybe" when you go diving

 

[Phil_C]

Hi all, I have a mouthful of fillings, root canal treatments, implants and crowns (a combination of a mis-spent youth and a liking for karate in my younger days).

I have never had a problem when diving but discussed this with my dentist at my regular checkup ( I go every 12 months for a checkup). I had to explain to her the possible problems as she had absolutley zero knowledge of diving and how it might relate to dentistry, but she was very good and grasped th eptoential problems straight away. She suggested that in addition to my annual checkup she could x-ray the teeth every second or third year and this would pick up any early signs of problems under the existing work.

Seemed a very sensible way forward which I took. Better for long term gum and teeth health as well. My advice would be get any decay treated as early as possible, and then don't worry about it. Best - Phil.

 

[brianthediver]

A guy I used to dive with had a tooth implode at depth. The nerve was dead so it wasn't sore but a huge shock.

 

[ianr33]

In my entire life, I have never been with nor heard about anyone having a "tooth squeeze" though the literature and training manuals say it can happen. This is not an issue about which you should have any concern. If any other scubaboarders out there have a "tooth squeeze" story, please tell us.
DivemasterDennis

Had a filling a few years back,went diving a few days later. Had some pain from the filling on descent. Wasn't that bad and has never happened again.

 

[nikko]

In my entire life, I have never been with nor heard about anyone having a "tooth squeeze" though the literature and training manuals say it can happen. This is not an issue about which you should have any concern. If any other scubaboarders out there have a "tooth squeeze" story, please tell us.
DivemasterDennis

A DM on a dive trip had it. Poor guy was miserable. We kicked him off the dive. He was trying to still work with it. (we had another DM and everyone on the boat save one was a DM or higher). But that is the only one i have ever seen. I have more fillings than I care to admit and have never had an issue.

 

[farsidefan1]

I asked my brother( a dentist) and he assured me that any competent dentist with modern tools and materials would be able to do virtually any procedure and within a month you could do anything dive wise.