Training to Become a Scuba Diver? Start at the Dentist
February 2017 Crownicle Newsletter
Scuba divers may want to stop by their dentist’s office before taking their next plunge. A new study found that 41% of divers experienced dental symptoms in the water, according to new research from the University at Buffalo. This is so due to constant jaw clenching and fluctuations in the atmospheric pressure underwater. Divers are likely to experience symptoms ranging from tooth, jaw and gum pain to loosened crowns and broken dental fillings.
Vanish Ranna, BDS, lead author and a student in the UB School of Dental Medicine, advises that recreational divers should consider consulting with their dentist before diving if they recently received dental care. “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,” says Ranna.
The study, “Prevalence of dental problems in recreational SCUBA divers,” was created by Ranna as inspired by her own experiences scuba diving. The study found, among other things, that pain was commonly reported in the molars and that dive instructors experienced dental symptoms most frequently.
Source: sciencedaily.com