Advertisement

Ad promo image large
  • Published Date

    August 18, 2021
    This ad was originally published on this date and may contain an offer that is no longer valid. To learn more about this business and its most recent offers, click here.

Ad Text

TRAINING TO BECOME A SCUBA DIVER? START AT THE DENTIST Scuba divers may want to stop by their dentist's office before taking their next plunge. A new pilot study found that 41 percent of divers experienced dental symptoms in the water, according to new research. Due to the constant jaw clenching and fluctuations in the atmospheric pressure underwater, divers may experience symptoms that range from tooth, jaw and gum pain to loosened crowns and broken dental fillings. Considering the air supply regulator is held in the mouth, any disorder in the oral cavity can potentially increase the diver's risk of injury. A dentist can look and see if diving is affecting a patient's oral health. The research was inspired by a dental student's first experience with scuba diving in 2013. Although she enjoyed being in the water, she couldn't help but notice a squeezing sensation in her teeth, a condition known as barodontalgia. Published research on dental symptoms experienced while scuba diving is scarce or focuses largely on military divers, so she crafted her own study. She created an online survey that was distributed to 100 certified recreational divers. Of the 41 participants who reported dental symptoms, 42 percent experienced barodontalgia, 24 percent described pain from holding the air regulator in their mouths too tightly and 22 percent reported jaw pain. Another five percent noted that their crowns were loosened during their dive, and one person reported a broken dental filling. An unhealthy tooth underwater would be much more obvious than on the surface. One hundred feet underwater is the last place you want to be with a fractured tooth. Patients should ensure that dental decay and restorations are addressed before a dive. Presented as a service to the community by Presented as a service to the community by Dr. Barbara Webster 1121 Warren Ave., Suite 130, Downers Grove, IL 60515 630-663-0554 SM-CL1901237 TRAINING TO BECOME A SCUBA DIVER? START AT THE DENTIST Scuba divers may want to stop by their dentist's office before taking their next plunge. A new pilot study found that 41 percent of divers experienced dental symptoms in the water, according to new research. Due to the constant jaw clenching and fluctuations in the atmospheric pressure underwater, divers may experience symptoms that range from tooth, jaw and gum pain to loosened crowns and broken dental fillings. Considering the air supply regulator is held in the mouth, any disorder in the oral cavity can potentially increase the diver's risk of injury. A dentist can look and see if diving is affecting a patient's oral health. The research was inspired by a dental student's first experience with scuba diving in 2013. Although she enjoyed being in the water, she couldn't help but notice a squeezing sensation in her teeth, a condition known as barodontalgia. Published research on dental symptoms experienced while scuba diving is scarce or focuses largely on military divers, so she crafted her own study. She created an online survey that was distributed to 100 certified recreational divers. Of the 41 participants who reported dental symptoms, 42 percent experienced barodontalgia, 24 percent described pain from holding the air regulator in their mouths too tightly and 22 percent reported jaw pain. Another five percent noted that their crowns were loosened during their dive, and one person reported a broken dental filling. An unhealthy tooth underwater would be much more obvious than on the surface. One hundred feet underwater is the last place you want to be with a fractured tooth. Patients should ensure that dental decay and restorations are addressed before a dive. Presented as a service to the community by Presented as a service to the community by Dr. Barbara Webster 1121 Warren Ave., Suite 130, Downers Grove, IL 60515 630-663-0554 SM-CL1901237