Root Canal and diving (yet again)

[lowviz]

A special member of my extended family just had two root canals a few weeks before her upcoming trip to the GBR in Oz. So envious of the destination!

Anyway, her endodontist cautioned: "If you have an air pocket in your filling, it will burst." Now, she is highly conflicted. Give up dream dives so her endodontist is totally free of liability?

I have two root canals and they have presented zero problems. Did the search, such seems to be the norm: Root canals and scuba diving

Anything new to add to reassure/caution her? Docs? Patients?

 

[scbaNE2179]

A special member of my extended family just had two root canals a few weeks before her upcoming trip to the GBR in Oz. So envious of the destination!

Anyway, her endodontist cautioned: "If you have an air pocket in your filling, it will burst." Now, she is highly conflicted. Give up dream dives so her endodontist is totally free of liability?

I have two root canals and they have presented zero problems. Did the search, such seems to be the norm: Root canals and scuba diving

Anything new to add to reassure/caution her? Docs? Patients?

I've had root canals many, many years ago before I started diving so I cannot express my experience with that but I do have dental crowns for the past several years since diving. I once had a cold and due to sinuses not completely opened up, the air pocket that was left in my crowns did indeed cause some rather uncomfortable pain between 5 and 20ft. Once I pass 20ft I was fine but man, that safety stop range is definitely painful. So basically, anything that has an air pocket would be problematic because you need to release all the trapped pressure in that area.

In regards what you can do-the only thing I would suggest now is to try things out in a pool and see if there's any discomfort. Granted a pool is only 10-12ft deep but you may be able to detect any pain during this time.

 

[lowviz]

I assume that the crown was over a live root?

 

[scbaNE2179]

I assume that the crown was over a live root?

Yes, and since there's a crown over this tooth and after/during the tail end of a cold it puts tremendous amount of pressure in this area during the initial pressure difference. I just take a max strength sudafed and equalize like crazy and pray that the pressure gets released. Most of the time I do not dive while congested but sometimes if the pain is manageable, I'll try and work with it.

 

[Scuba J7]

I’ve got three root canals and crowns and never an issue, one is 30 years old. It’s my understanding that if there is an air pocket in the root canal, the dentist did not do their job properly.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

A special member of my extended family just had two root canals a few weeks before her upcoming trip to the GBR in Oz. So envious of the destination!

Anyway, her endodontist cautioned: "If you have an air pocket in your filling, it will burst." Now, she is highly conflicted. Give up dream dives so her endodontist is totally free of liability?

I have two root canals and they have presented zero problems. Did the search, such seems to be the norm: Root canals and scuba diving

Anything new to add to reassure/caution her? Docs? Patients?

Ditto Scuba J7. I'm not a dentist or endodontist or any kind of dontist but I do know that there shouldn't be any air pockets in a filling. I would be cautious of a practitioner who says something like that. All the people I've had work on my teeth over the years got ruffled if I asked them about air pockets, as if I was questioning the quality of their work.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[chillyinCanada]

It's in the literature that an air pocket under a filling could cause problems, yet divers dive with fillings and crowns every day all over the world. I've got a couple of crowns and went diving not too long after each of them were done. Zero problems. I'd be more worried about being that dentist, if something goes awry. LOL

 

[vincent54]

During the endodontic treatment, there are times the canals are left unfilled. Her tooth may have just been opened and medicated, but not filled with the gutta percha. For example, a pus producing infection is not permanently sealed at the initial appointment. Her tooth may be in the treatment phase of a "root canal"

if the endo was finalized and had air pockets, then it was inadequately sealed and should be retreated. We typically don't fill teeth with air!

 

[flyboy08]

It basically how good the dentist performs his craft. I had a root canal and cap three weeks before last Decembers dive trip. I dove 16 dives without one iota of an issue....