What’s barodontalgia and find out how to prevent it?

Do you swim ceaselessly and discover that your teeth hurt after diving? In that case, chances are you’ll be affected by barodontalgia.

This little-known condition can really affect the standard of lifetime of certain people who find themselves energetic at altitude or in deep water. Mountaineers, divers, pilots, or employees who must travel consistently by plane are also all liable to barodontalgia.

However it isn’t only the career or the sporting activity that could be responsible. A primary risk factor is poor oral hygiene or neglect of oral cavity pathologies, corresponding to cavities. The latter, with no proper approach, increase the possibilities of getting pain when the atmospheric pressure changes.

Considering that nobody desires to have discomfort within the mountains, on board an airplane, or submerged within the ocean, we inform you why barodontalgia occurs and what you possibly can do to forestall it. Don’t miss it.

What’s barodontalgia?

The term barodontalgia consists of two parts. The primary is baro, which suggests ‘pressure’. Then again, odontalgia, means ‘toothache.’

In this manner, we understand that the concept refers to pain within the dental elements brought on by the change in atmospheric pressure to which an individual is subjected. This transformation in pressure could be brought on by an ascent to high altitudes or by a descent to considerable depths underwater after which a return to the surface.

The expression tooth squeeze is used to explain the phenomenon and the patients’ sensations. It may very well be translated as ‘tooth squeeze’ in English, because along with the pain there may be the perception that the dental element itself exerts pressure outside itself.

Who can suffer from barodontalgia?

Barodontalgia can appear at any age and affect any person. In any case, the requirement of going through a change in atmospheric pressure should be met. That’s to say, if there’s pain in a tooth without being at a high altitude or without being submerged, then we cannot speak of this disorder.

On this sense, there are population groups which might be more exposed as a result of their work or recreational activities. Amongst them we will mention the next:

• Mountaineers, hikers, and mountaineers.
• Aircraft pilots, flight attendants, and air crews.
• Soldiers and military personnel performing aviation or diving tasks.
• Skilled or sports divers.
• People whose work requires them to travel ceaselessly in airplanes to perform tasks in numerous destinations.

But as we mentioned within the introduction, inside these more exposed groups there are risk aspects that increase the potential of affected by barodontalgia. That’s to say, not everyone who gets on an airplane can have pain of their teeth.

Those that present any of the next conditions usually tend to be affected:

• Gingivitis or gum inflammation.
• Dental fillings or repairs.
• Cavities.

This greater susceptibility is explained by the exposure of the dental pulp in these patients. It’s on this tissue that the dental nerve could be found, which is ultimately accountable for registering the change in atmospheric pressure and reacting with pain when faced with it.

The mechanism of pain responds to physics

To know why there may be dental pain when faced with a change in atmospheric pressure, we must consult with a principle of physics which is the Boyle-Mariotte law. It states that the amount of a gas trapped in a closed container, at a continuing temperature, changes in line with the variations within the pressure it receives.

This transformation is inverse. If the encircling pressure increases, the enclosed gas decreases in volume. Quite the opposite, if the pressure decreases, then the gas increases its volume.

In barodontalgia this is applicable to the gas contained in the dental elements (especially if there are cavities). When ascending in altitude above sea level, the atmospheric pressure decreases; this causes the gas contained in a tooth to expand, increasing its volume and pushing outward.

In diving, the identical thing happens when ascending back to the surface. The diver is subjected to more atmospheric pressure as he descends, but as he rises out of the water the alternative process begins, which can be corresponding to ascending a mountain.

Now, why is gas trapped contained in the tooth? The routes by which air reaches the inside of the pulp chamber are varied. Although the cause might not be determined, it’s more than likely that some factor has played a job in causing the gas to come back into contact with the dental nerve.

If there’s been a death in some a part of the pulp tissue, the gas could discover a place to occupy. In the identical way, it will find it difficult to exit through the blood since the vascularization is poor, as a result of necrosis of the world.

Within the case of getting suffered a fracture in a tooth, the fissure serves as a channel for the gas to maneuver inward and find it difficult to exit. It’s as if it were a unidirectional path for the air to enter, but not to go away. The identical explanation applies to a misfit filling or one which presents leakage spaces.

Again, we emphasize that barodontalgia having a previous dental condition is a risk factor. Then, what the change in atmospheric pressure does is stimulate the trapped gas to switch its volume. And that’s when the pain appears.

That’s the reason it’s understood that this process is a symptom, but not a disease in itself. If the pain appears as a result of a change in pressure, a dentist must be consulted to find out which underlying clinical condition is responsible.

Symptoms of barodontalgia

In fact, the cardinal symptom of barodontalgia is toothache or the feeling of compressing from inside the tooth element when the atmospheric pressure changes. But there are associated signs that may suggest the underlying condition.

For instance, essentially the most acute and intense pain is related to caries. Then again, when small hemorrhages appear across the affected tooth, they are often the results of recent oral surgery.

It’s rare and infrequent for the gas to cause a dental fracture when it expands. Nonetheless, it could actually complicate or aggravate a clinical condition that’s already present within the patient beforehand.

There may be a classification for barodontalgia that considers the symptoms and the possible underlying condition. It’s as follows:

• Class 1: pain appears suddenly when ascending, however the patient feels nothing when descending. That is more than likely acute or irreversible pulpitis.
• Class 2: throbbing and dull pain when ascending, which appears progressively, but without symptoms when descending. It may very well be a chronic pulpitis.
• Class 3: the presence of the identical pain as at school 2, but occurring when descending and never when ascending, is indicative of necrotic pulpitis.
• Class 4: finally, intense pain, each when ascending and descending, results in the suspicion of apical periodontitis.

How you can prevent it

Stopping barodontalgia is comparatively easy. It’s essential to take some precautions once we know that we shall be in situations of atmospheric pressure changes. And particularly those patients with caries, pulpitis, dental fractures or who’ve recently received oral surgery should take extreme measures.

Subsequently, it’s logical to emphasise that the major prevention lies in good oral hygiene. So long as the aspects that affect the production of pathologies of the mouth are reduced, there shall be less risk of pressure pain.

It is going to even be essential to have regular check-ups with a trusted dentist. If we now have had oral surgery, a tooth extraction or a dental work done and we now have to get on a plane, we will ask the skilled concerning the safety of taking the flight.

Similarly, if we ceaselessly practice sports activities corresponding to mountaineering or diving, we may also must receive the authorization of the dentist and medical clearance to resume these disciplines. The dentist’s office will have the ability to offer you a tentative date to return to practice after surgery.

For divers attending diving schools, it’s essential that the instructors are aware of your oral health. They may also have the ability to recommend or to not dive in line with their experience with the topic.

Equalizing pressures

There are two natural and easy methods that may contribute to equalizing slightly the pressures between the surface and the within the body when we modify altitude. They’ll not at all times prevent barodontalgia, and might not be of much use if there are serious pathologies of the teeth, but in mild cases, they make a difference.

One option is to chew gum. The act of chewing mobilizes the air contained in the mouth and generates changes within the Eustachian tube, which is an anatomical structure that connects the pharynx with the ears. In this manner, the inner and external pressures are inclined to equalize.

The Valsalva maneuver pursues the identical objective. It consists of attempting to exhale air with the nose and mouth blocked. Essentially the most practical is to shut the mouth, cover the nose with the hands, and force to expel the air retained against the obstruction that we generate on purpose.

The role of a dentist within the prevention of barodontalgia

The prevention of barodontalgia also is determined by the dental skilled. Since pain often occurs in pre-existing oral pathologies or as a result of air leaking into previously operated tooth elements, it must be recognized that poor fillings or unsuitable approaches within the dental office could be risk aspects for patients.

Dentists must be aware that some materials utilized in clinical practice are more practical in stopping periodontalgia. That is the case of resin versus zinc phosphate and versus glass ionomers. This substance higher withstands changes in atmospheric pressure, so it will be the primary selection for treatment in airline pilots or divers, for instance.

In turn, if the practitioner knows that his or her patient has frequent activities at high altitudes or practices diving, then they need to take the initiative to cut back risk aspects. This involves checking old arrangements and never letting signs of decay evolve untreated.

Barodontalgia is an indication of something else

It’s necessary to be clear that barodontalgia indicates a condition within the mouth. So, in the event you suffer from it ceaselessly or it has happened to you in recent time, it’s paramount to seek the advice of a dentist.

There are probably cavities, pulpitis or dental fractures that should be addressed immediately. This may prevent recent episodes of pressure pain, but may also limit the complications of the disease in query.

In brief, oral health and dental hygiene are the pillars of prevention of barodontalgia. For those who like mountaineering or scuba diving, or if you will have to spend a variety of time in airplanes for work reasons, then make sure that you sweep your teeth and visit your dentist repeatedly.

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