Do You Need to Worry About Tooth Squeeze?
You likely know that high or low altitudes can make your ears pop or your ears feel strange. Did you know that the change in pressure can also affect your teeth? Known medically as barodontalgia, and by most people as “tooth squeeze,” it happens to pilots, scuba drivers, and mount climbers. That said, it can inflict anyone who ventures out into an extreme environment.
What exactly is tooth squeeze and how does it happen?
When a gas finds itself in a different level of pressure, then it will expand or contract to match it. Air is actually gas, which means that any air pockets in your teeth are also going to contract or expand as you get high or low. In normal situations, these are very small changes and not a big problem. However, if you’re in an extremely high-pressure situation, like you’re scuba diving, or a very low pressure environment, like mountain climbing, then you could actually damage you teeth.
Why is there air in your teeth?
If you have fillings, dentures, or crowns, then there could be little leaks around them that actually let tiny amounts of air into your teeth. This can lead to tooth squeeze. In other situations, it may be caused by a tooth that has decayed and hasn’t been treated.
Who’s at risk?
Not everyone is at equal risk for this problem. Of course, people who are frequently in situations in which there are significant changes in pressure are more likely to have tooth squeeze. This includes people who work as scuba divers, pilots and other airline crew members, mountain climbers, and people who work in submarines.
Those who have damage to their teeth are also more likely to have this issue. Anyone who’s had a filling done or any other type of restorative dental work is at higher risk. The worst situation is a person who has decaying teeth or an infection of their teeth, because these issues can get worse with changing pressure.
The potential effects of tooth squeeze
If you do experience tooth squeeze, you could experience symptoms like tooth pain, inflamed pulp in your teeth, loose filings, dentures, or crowns, an infection in your tooth’s root, dental cysts, bleeding gums, and even broken teeth.
Call us today if you are concerned about this or other dental issues
If you’re worried that you may have suffered from tooth squeeze, or worry that you may in the future, then the best thing you can do is to make an appointment with California Dental Group. We can take a look at your teeth, look for potential leaks that could lead to air pockets, and help ensure that you won’t have to deal with this painful issue.
Call us at (800) 407-0161 today to make your appointment. We look forward to helping your entire family with your dental needs.
