Diving after dental work

[TJs]

Hi

Just been advised by my diving dentist that I might have to have root canal work to remove a troublesome tooth. However, one of the options involves a repair that could trap air underneath and therefore run the risk of problems on ascent etc because of the pressure changes.

One alternative is to leave a gap where the tooth and nerve is removed - someone else must have had similar work done and survived diving afterwards?????

Any ideas would be much appreciated!

[ardhill]

Yep, I had some root canal work done. It was done in a couple of stages, I think because of infection?

Anyway, the first bit left me with an air gap in the canal. I wouldn't go diving during that week. The second time she worked on it to finish it, she filled the canal completely, I mentioned that I was a diver and any air gap was a really not good.

I am no expert, but I guess any air gap would cause a tremendous strain on the wall of the tooth as well as the filling and gum below.

[Wil Bateman]

I wrote my Dental dissertation on Diving Dentistry and the current opinion in the Dental Journals is not to diving whilst undergoing Root canal treatment (Endodontics).

The Temporary fillings used are not a perfect seal and the airspace within the tooth can increase the risk of Ondontecrexsis (tooth exploding).

One paper even suggested that nitrogen bubbles can form at the end of the root causing additional problems!

You should also not dive in the 24 hour period after completion of the root filling to allow everying the materials to set.

Sorry for all the bad news, but hopefully after a few appointments you should be pain free and sorted out!

Good Luck
Wil

(Now a qualified Dentist :-D !)

[TJs]

Thank you for replies - my dentist did warn me to have the work done "out of season" as I wouldn't be able to get in the water whilst it was being done. What did concern me was his fear that I would have problems after the work had been completed - ie it would always be a risk if any air got trapped under the permanent repair. I couldn't understand why this was so different to air trapped under a filling.

Anyway - congratulations to Will on becoming a diving dentist!!!!!

[Wil Bateman]

The theory is that under any filling there should be no air-space, even in non-divers!

A root filling consists of gutta-percha points (Rubber) inserted down a clean shaped root canal to the point exactly at the end of the root. The small spaces taken up using a filler. (usually zinc-oxide and Eugenol (clove oil))

As any Dentist will tell you it is sometimes quite difficult to get the root filling right to the end of the root canal. Here we are talking fractions of a millimetre being important.

Stein in 1991 reported that filling short can leave a small space for debris, to collect and theoretically a site for compressed gases from the bloodstream to accumulate. As the tooth is dead (i.e no blood supply) this gas will not dissipate during ascent leading to gas expansion and potential pain. There are no cases in the dental press I have come across to support this though

Whilst it is important to consider the bottom of the root, a good quality filling on the top is very important, and in my humble opinion this is probably more important in the case of diving. Especially as the size of the space at the bottom of the tooth is microscopic (hopefully!)

I can report that I have been diving with a root filling for the past 5 years without any problems at all. It is also the only piece of serious dentistry I have ever needed much to my annoyance!!!!

Hope this helps
Wil-

I should add i am not an expert on this, i have just done a some research and have a passing interest in the unique problems diving presents dentists!!

[kinlaird]

From Personal experience I have a very old filled root canal (35Yrs old) has given me no problems whatsoever.

Currently I have had Two treatments out of three for a complex root canal filling.
After the first treatment with a temporary filling in place I did 6 dives at around 25-35mtrs had a little pain on descent (though not a lot) however on surfacing last 3 Mts caused a lot of pain and blew out some of the filling Plenty of Paracetamol and Ibuprofen (well i was not going to miss out on a weeks diving in Guernsey for a bloody tooth!!! )
About to have Third and final treatment in two weeks on the Friday and have organised a weekend diving in Wales on the Saturday !!!!! Fingers crossed there are no air pockets because this is the second year I have been planning this weekend and IM NOT MISSING OUT ON THE DIVING BECAUSE OF A BLOODY TOOTH :-) !!!
Will add another post after :-)

[hahhh]

More people are electing to have failing or missing teeth replaced by dental implants. I have experienced an
increase in the number of questions related to dental implants and scuba diving in my capacity as a dental
consultant for DAN, ScubaDoc and the Scuba Board. It is only natural because of the confluence of both
diving and dental technologies that occurs within the mouth. Dental implants are found where the scuba
regulator ends. Dental implants are associated the very same spaces containing gas that must be equalized
during a dive.

link removed

[Diver@50]

I have recently had to have three root canal treatments. They were all done, one at a time, in one session lasting 90 minutes. I specifically askled the dentist about diving, & his reply was as has previously been mentioned that any air gap in any tooth filling is not good even for none divers, because of subsequent decay etc.