Wisdom Teeth Removal?

[21isfun]

Hey I'm new to the forum, and pretty new to diving as well. I'll be logging 4-5 dives over the same number of days come May, as part of a college course. My wisdom teeth have recently started coming in, and I need to have them removed so that they don't cause problems for my other teeth (which my parents spent some $$$ to straighten already).


What I am wondering is, how long do I need to leave between getting my teeth extracted and being able to dive without complications? If anyone has dived after recently having their wisdom teeth extracted, I'd love to know the time frame and how you fared. I can't afford to wait too much longer, but I'm afraid to leave any less than 2 weeks in between.

Any responses will be greatly appreciated?

 

[sprange]

The short answer is: it depends.

With 'positive' factors such as conical roots, lack of bony impaction, and adequate distance from vital structures such as nerves or blood vessels, wisdom tooth extractions can be a breeze for both the patient and the dentist. For cases such as these, two weeks out of the water is a conservative approach that as far as I can tell has no empirical evidence for or against. I suspect that you'll hear from many divers who have resumed diving within a few days of an extraction without any complication but I wouldn't expect anyone to be able to tell you the minimal time until you are 'safe' from complications. Speaking of which, developing dry socket would be a non life-threatening complication that would likely keep you out of the water until the pain is managable. Bleeding could be significantly worse, but probably not likely unless you go diving right after the extractions. Air embolism -could- be a real problem, but the literature doesn't have much on that aspect. We've seen what can happen when a normal 'drill' is used to section a tooth or bone and forces air into potential tissue spaces (bad things).

Hopefully you'll get a good indication of how the extractions went by your dentist/oral surgeon. Any of the following phrases could mean more than two weeks out of the water: sinus communication, nerve damage, jaw fracture, or root dislocation. Anyway the odds are in your favour that you'll be just fine.

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi 21isfun,

Here's what DAN has to say:

Diving and Wisdom Teeth
DAN Divers Alert Network : Diving and Wisdom Teeth


Here's what my diving dentist budddy, Dr. Lary Stein, has to say:

"In general, you need about 2-4 weeks healing time following extractions. If these were difficult, horizontal impactions, with a lot of bone removal, I would use the more conservative time of 4 weeks. Really difficult extractions or unexpected surgical complications could mean up to about 6 weeks.

If you have had complications such as "dry sockets" or sinus exposures then the healing time might have to be extended--your oral surgeon should discuss this with you.

If you are still taking a prescription pain medication don't dive and, in fact, if you are still having significant pain for more than 3-4 days, have your dentist or oral surgeon check the site/sites for a dry socket.

One theoretical concern is the lower extraction sites. These sites receive a great deal of force from the jaw. The forces are concentrated at the angle of the lower jaw. Clenching on the regulator tabs could lead to a broken jaw. This is not documented from the literature on diving but it is a documented complication during extraction. Again, speak to your surgeon.

You may be still have some tenderness in the jaw joints from the surgery and holding the regulator may make this worse. Take it a day at a time and don't push yourself. If you are have pain, stop diving. I you cannot comfortably hold the regulator in your mouth I would recommend that you DON'T dive.

Hope this helps.

Safe Diving,

Larry Stein"


Helpful?

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[Rand]

I had my wisdom teeth removed 3 weeks ago dived in the pool for my drysuit course last night. It was only down to 15 feet, but it didn't feel any different than before I had them out.

I told my dentist that I am a diver and asked his advice. He told me 2 weeks at a minimum before diving, but that there should be no reason I couldn't dive after 4 weeks.

But, as others have said, individual situations vary and you don't want to find out at depth that you can't hold your reg in. Maybe wait a few weeks and then get in a pool to test it out.

 

[21isfun]

thanks everyone- looks like I'll play it safe and schedule the extraction for after the trip if possible.

 

[terrillja]

I had pretty much the worst case scenario when I had my wisdom teeth out, all 4 were badly bone impacted. I spent 2 weeks on vicodin, just to manage the pain. So for me it was 2-3 weeks that I pretty much couldn't do anything.

On the other hand, my sister had hers out and was fine within 24 hrs. It all depends....

 

[DocVikingo]

On the other hand, my sister had hers out and was fine within 24 hrs. It all depends....

Hi terrillja,

It's not entirely clear what is meant by "fine," but it seems quite unlikely that any reputable diving medicine or dentistry specialist would approve return to SCUBA within 24 hrs of an extraction(s), no matter how smoothly it went.

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[Sas]

Hi 21isfun,

whilst I wasn't diving when I had my wisdom teeth out, it took me six weeks to recover fully and be able to open my mouth properly so I wouldn't have been able to dive for six weeks. Mine were greatly impacted and I think they had to dislocate my jaw or something or other to get them out. It was horrible anyway! You might be lucky and recover quickly (like, my partner was fine in a matter of days...) but yea, I guess if it were me I'd have them taken out after to be safe.

Hope it goes well for you anyway! The diving and the extraction

-Sarah

 

[Damselfish]

another thought - do you know they will cause problems, or just assuming they will? I have all mine, they have not affected other teeth and they just sit there minding their own business.

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi Damselfish,

The OP states; "My wisdom teeth have recently started coming in, and I need to have them removed so that they don't cause problems for my other teeth (which my parents spent some $$$ to straighten already)."

Teeth that have been corrected through orthodontia may again become misaligned with the eruption of wisdom teeth. It is up to the treating professional to make the call on the advisability of extraction.

Regards,

DocVikingo