Dental or sinus pain when only at 4 feet deep?

[russellt]

I was recently swimming in a 4 foot deep kids pool with my daughter. I went to the bottom to pick up a coin and immediately developed a severe pain that I would describe as being dull, several inches long, above the #12 tooth. The pain lasted maybe 10 minutes and when I went down later it happened again.

For over a year I have had bleeding every time I floss around the #12 tooth that my periodontist says is not gum disease, but he thinks the margin of the crown on that tooth is causing the bleeding irritating the gums. It is loose and I also complain of an electrical type response when I touch that tooth. It is not sensitive to hot or cold or tapping. I do grind my teeth. An x-ray shows no infection. The sinus cavity does reach that area. I had an MMA for sleep apnea 2 years ago.

I dare not go diving until I can go swimming without pain. My normal dive is spearfishing in Arkansas at 15-20 feet all sumer long. I was in Puerto Rico when the problem occurred and I do not recall any sinus congestion. I have not dove since last fall when I had no problems my last 100 foot dives were 2 years ago in Hawaii.

Any suggestions on how to diagnose the problem? My periodontist says go to an endodontist. He also thinks it would be helpful to go to a dentist office when the pain is present so get the tooth numbed to see if it is the source of the problem.

Thanks for your comments in advance.

 

[russellt]

Hello Me again. It's been a month and nobody has responded to my message. I've seen my local professionals and they don't have much advice. Though I've lurked here for many years this is my first post. Is there something about my post that caused it not to get answered?

Does anyone have any suggestions? As it stands not I will be staying out of the water this season.

 

[Web Monkey]

Hello Me again. It's been a month and nobody has responded to my message. I've seen my local professionals and they don't have much advice. Though I've lurked here for many years this is my first post. Is there something about my post that caused it not to get answered?

Does anyone have any suggestions? As it stands not I will be staying out of the water this season.

You might want to talk to DAN. (Phone # in red at the top of the page).

They should be able to refer you to someone who would have any idea what's going on.

Terry

 

[Pirate Lady]

I'm no doctor or dentist, but usually pain around a tooth from pressure is a sign of squeeze. Air is getting into an area around that tooth some sort of way and not able to be released. That's the only thing that comes to mind. I could be totally off, but I agree with calling DAN.

 

[fisherdvm]

Sounds like a root canal issue. It doesn't take much to trigger terrible pain if you have a tooth root abcess. Minor temperature changes by breathing in cold air or minor pressure (from biting on the mouthpiece) can cause the nerve to fire.

If you previously had a root canal in that tooth, it might need to be redone, to make sure all nerves were destroyed. If you have not had one, have your dentist evaluate you for a tooth root abcess or other pathology.

An endodontist might be a good person to see... Don't listen to us, as we are not dentists.

 

[Hank49]

Have it pulled. I'm missing all 4 wisdoms, a lower molar, and an upper front tooth. Without the false tooth I look like I have an IQ of about 75, which is an improvement over my actual...but I can still eat, no problem.

 

[donnad]

i say, go see the endodontist. sounds like something may be going on under that crown, and the endodontist is the one i believe who will be able to figure that out.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I am in no way a medical professional, I'm simply relating my own sinus experience:

Have they checked for mucous retention cysts? My doctor did a scan (CAT scan or MRI I don't remember) and found one of my maxillary sinuses is full of these cysts. Thing is that's the only sinus that doesn't bother me...go figure. He told me if they ever started causing issues I would need to have them removed or stop diving.

Good luck! Keep us posted about the findings.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Cerveza]

I am in no way a medical professional, I'm simply relating my own sinus experience:

Have they checked for mucous retention cysts? My doctor did a scan (CAT scan or MRI I don't remember) and found one of my maxillary sinuses is full of these cysts. Thing is that's the only sinus that doesn't bother me...go figure. He told me if they ever started causing issues I would need to have them removed or stop diving.

Good luck! Keep us posted about the findings.
Ber :lilbunny:

Im with Ber, again im no doctor, but sinus problems can put pressure onto the top teeth and its painful, im speaking from personal experience getting deeper than 2 metres was impossible due to the pain, sort of a cross between toothache and being hit in the eye and cheek with an axe (thats the best way i can describe it in my case)..antibiotics worked for me and i was back in the water inside 3 weeks, but the pain i will never forget... so maybe ask if there is a chance it could be sinus trouble and get checked out for it as well as the crown... all the best and a speedy recovery..

 

[Manuel Sam]

There's a good article about this in (I think) the most recent issue of Alert Diver (DAN's magazine). In it you will find that one of the more common causes is small air pockets within the tooth that, as others have suggested, are subject to squeeze due to pressure when submerging.

I had a very similar experience some 6 years ago. Excruciating pain when going below 15 feet. I also happen to have a crown where the pain was. I went to see an ENT and he diagnosed it as an infection in the sinus right above the teeth (sort of below the left eye) and its inability to drain due to a block where the sinus drains into the nasal passage. Antibiotics failed to do the trick. Eventually I underwent minor surgery to reopen that drain passage and all has been well since then.

I'm not suggesting that your situation is similar to mine but at this point, I'm sure you'll want to explore all possibilities.