Are you passionate about traveling? Perhaps your one of those people where travel is an essential part of their job.

Among the whole lot of things that come to your mind when you think of flying, does oral health even make it to your list? Probably no.

While the concept and science of aviation dentistry is in its infancy, it focuses on oral and dental wellbeing of people who are frequent fliers. Since there are great variations in the atmospheric pressure up in the sky, aviation dentistry focuses on how the probable disorder can be avoided.

What Happens…

When the plane is at an elevation, the pressure gets quite low for humans. Nonetheless, the air pressure within the plane is maintained to a comforting level via air-cycle machines and discharging valves. Even so, these constant changes in the atmosphere tend to impact the oral health of fliers frequently.

Stated below are some oral disorders that a flier is susceptible to:

Barodontalgia

This basically refers to a dental pain that’s related to changes in the atmospheric pressure. Barodontalgia is typically a state where a previous oral disease gets worse. The pain incurred by this disorder is quite high. The pain at the top is actually arising from the pulpitis, whereas the pain at the bottom results from pulpal necrosis. All in all, it is directly related to a disease known as periapical disease.

However, it is important to understand that Barodontalgia is a disorder that results either from reduced pressure in the atmosphere or a circuitous effect, in which dental pain arises upon the titillation of nerve base.

Odontocrexis

Alternatively known as barometric tooth explosion, this condition transpires in teeth that have permeable restorations, displaced crowns or persistent caries when divulged to variations in atmospheric force. It is often the result of inadvertent gas explosion captured under defective restorations.

Barontitis

Intense pain in the ear is often encountered by fliers when the plane is landing. The pain arises due to the atmospheric pressure that keeps varying and creates a void in the middle ear. This in turn draws the eardrum on the inner side.

Barosinusitis

On a higher level, the atmospheric pressure created is negative and occurs between the outside atmosphere and paranasal air sinuses. This causes irritation and swelling in the sinuses, primarily in the anterior sinus. Indirectly, this condition can worsen into barodontalgia.

Looking for an emergency dentist in Bethesda that will have you covered for multiple dental disorders? Bethesda Dental Health is your top choice. Get to know their dentists and get treated under the expert guidance of Dr. Sheida Larijani.