2 Tips To Prevent Tooth Squeeze If You Have A Dental Filling
Diving into your favorite body of water while on vacation can be an exciting and relaxing way to unwind and immerse yourself in your destination. The deeper that you decide to dive, the more pressure that is placed on your entire body. If you have a dental filling, then this added pressure may cause pockets of air to form underneath and around the filling. Once you come up, these pockets of air can cause an extreme amount of pain as they expand throughout your mouth. This is considered to be a tooth squeeze and can be difficult to prevent if you forget about your filling. While a dental filling should not prevent you from diving, the pain that may follow can easily deter you. Luckily, there are a few tips that you can use to prevent a tooth squeeze from occurring during your dives.
Check for Loose Fillings Before Diving
Pockets of air are most likely to form in the crevices around your filling. If you have a filling that is loose, then this creates tiny pockets. Therefore, before your dive, you should check with your dentist to ensure that you do not have loose fillings. If you dive frequently, then you may not be able to visit your dentist before each dive. Therefore, it is important to stay up to date with your routine checkups. If you notice any looseness when you chew or speak, then you should contact your dentist as soon as possible. They will be able to fill in the gaps in order to make your filling as seamless as possible.
Make Sure Your Mouthpiece Fits Properly
A mouthpiece that does not fit properly can result in excess stress around your jaw line and around the teeth in your mouth. If you have fillings, then this can loosen the fillings and result in dental cracks. As a result, it is important to make an effort to get a customized mouthpiece. This will prevent excess tension from being placed on all areas of your mouth. If you do not dive frequently enough to need a personal mouthpiece, then it is important to try out all of the available mouthpieces until you find one that fits the best. If you have braces, it is especially important to find a good fitting mouthpiece as braces can make your teeth even more sensitive to the pressure from biting down.
Tooth squeeze is difficult to avoid if there are gaps in your dental filling. Therefore, use these tips to make sure your dental filling is always in good condition before a dive.