Dental tips before flying
What should we take into account?
Before flying, it is advisable to see a dentist, as untreated dental pathology can lead to severe dental pain during a flight.
Practical advice beforehand:
- Visit your dentist to have your mouth examined.
- Treat your dental conditions.
- If you have recently had mouth surgery, wait at least 24 hours before flying.
What to do on a flight
Pressure changes occur, sucking sweets, chewing gum, yawning and swallowing saliva are some simple remedies to try to equalise these pressures.
You can take some painkillers although they don’t always work, and visit a dentist as soon as you land.
Why does this pain occur during the flight?
1.The presence of caries slowly destroys the tooth and creates microscopic holes through which air enters the tooth and becomes trapped. When the pressure changes in the plane, this trapped air expands during the flight due to the pressure, and as it cannot find its way out, it presses on the dentine or the nerve, causing intense toothache and tooth pain.
Sometimes this pain can be radiating, causing pain throughout the entire hemiface if it cannot be equalised with cabin pressure.
2. Faulty dental fillings can trap air.
3. In some dental reconstructions air can be trapped, not being able to maintain the same pressure as the aircraft cabin.
4. Incomplete root canals tend to lodge gas inside the affected tooth.
5. The presence of periodontal abscesses and recent tooth extractions can cause pain when flying.
If you suffer from toothache before the flight or on the plane, you should consult us as soon as possible as it is most likely to recur and the last thing you want is to start your holiday with a terrible toothache.
For all these reasons it is recommended that you visit the clinics of Clinicas Udemax to treat any dental problem you may have, whether you know it or not, and to be able to enjoy your trip without any dental surprises…
And above all… That your flight does not give you a “toothache”.
