Can we fly internationally with sensitive tooth and sharp pain?

[Du_deleted]

Hi,
I am planning for an international trip and I have some issues going on with my tooth. I have sensitivity to chew hard and crunchy foods and to hot beverages. This is happening for past 2 weeks after my recent filling replacement. Also, I have a sharp needle pinch like pain coming on and off without any triggers. It will be there for few seconds and goes off. Comes back after a min or so.
I am planning for an international trip within 10 days and I am worried whether this sensitive tooth and pain increase during plane travel? Also, my current dentist say it might be a crack underneath. Not sure though. Whether the minor cracked tooth cause any issues while on plane travel? Any inputs on this. Appreciate your inputs. Should I go for an airplane travel or I should avoid it? Any precautions to be taken?

 

[Du_deleted]

Any inputs? @Busybee

 

[MattKW]

Unlikely to give trouble. Take some plain ibuprofen with you in case.
Alternatively, have filling changed again, but to amalgam.

 

[Du_deleted]

Unlikely to give trouble. Take some plain ibuprofen with you in case.
Alternatively, have filling changed again, but to amalgam.

Thank you so much for your reply @MattKW. Appreciate it.
Yeah. I am planning to go to a new dentist there and insist them to change it to amalgam.

 

[Busybee]

Hi,
I am planning for an international trip and I have some issues going on with my tooth. I have sensitivity to chew hard and crunchy foods and to hot beverages. This is happening for past 2 weeks after my recent filling replacement. Also, I have a sharp needle pinch like pain coming on and off without any triggers. It will be there for few seconds and goes off. Comes back after a min or so.
I am planning for an international trip within 10 days and I am worried whether this sensitive tooth and pain increase during plane travel? Also, my current dentist say it might be a crack underneath. Not sure though. Whether the minor cracked tooth cause any issues while on plane travel? Any inputs on this. Appreciate your inputs. Should I go for an airplane travel or I should avoid it? Any precautions to be taken?

I cracked a lower molar tooth eating a French fry in Marrakech at the start of a hiking trip up a mountain in North Africa. I just took care to avoid eating on it or putting pressure on as it was like an electric shock to eat hot food. I had it fixed as soon as I got home. So I hope you will be fine too.

 

[Du_deleted]

I cracked a lower molar tooth eating a French fry in Marrakech at the start of a hiking trip up a mountain in North Africa. I just took care to avoid eating on it or putting pressure on as it was like an electric shock to eat hot food. I had it fixed as soon as I got home. So I hope you will be fine too.

Thank you so much for your reply @Busybee. Appreciate it.
I am also doing the same. Not eating on that side of the mouth.
And how did you fix it when you back home? What did you do to fix it?

 

[Busybee]

Thank you so much for your reply @Busybee. Appreciate it.
I am also doing the same. Not eating on that side of the mouth.
And how did you fix it when you back home? What did you do to fix it?

I went to a dentist near work and they told me I needed a root canal and referred me to a specialist. He was all set to do the canal or even extract the tooth if it the crack was really bad.

So I went for a second opinion to a minimally invasive dentist a dental nurse friend recommended. He said he didn't think it needed a root canal as I could feel the cold and the root looked good on x ray. He said he would open it up in order to have a look and to fill it if possible, with a view to referring me if the crack went past the gum line. It was not past the gum line and he filled it very carefully. He said let's try this and see whether it settles before we do anything more radical. That was 11 years ago and it has not hurt since.

 

[Du_deleted]

I went to a dentist near work and they told me I needed a root canal and referred me to a specialist. He was all set to do the canal or even extract the tooth if it the crack was really bad.

So I went for a second opinion to a minimally invasive dentist a dental nurse friend recommended. He said he didn't think it needed a root canal as I could feel the cold and the root looked good on x ray. He said he would open it up in order to have a look and to fill it if possible, with a view to referring me if the crack went past the gum line. It was not past the gum line and he filled it very carefully. He said let's try this and see whether it settles before we do anything more radical. That was 11 years ago and it has not hurt since.

Thank you @Busybee.
That's so awesome. A normal white filling helped you a lot and for a long time. I didn't know that fillings help to cover up the crack. I thought crown is the only option.

 

[Busybee]

Thank you @Busybee.
That's so awesome. A normal white filling helped you a lot and for a long time. I didn't know that fillings help to cover up the crack. I thought crown is the only option.

Dental User I was lucky because the crack was not deep. I had a crack on the same tooth on the other side but that one had to be protected with a gold onlay. Luckily neither was past the gum line. If it's too deep then there is no remedy but to remove the tooth. I hope yours is ok and that the flight goes well.

 

[MattKW]

Fillings rarely cover up cracks unless you are also cusp capping (or onlay as for Busybee). Teeth naturally function by wedging cusp against incline, and cavities/fillings disrupt the strength of the tooth. Merely covering a crack with the same size and shape filling will do nothing. Unfortunately, post-op sens after composite fillings is often falsely attributed to a "crack" (requiring an RCT!), or a "high spot". If you have pain due to a crack, a pathognomonic sign is pain upon release of biting pressure, not random pain "...without any triggers...".

 

[Du_deleted]

Fillings rarely cover up cracks unless you are also cusp capping (or onlay as for Busybee). Teeth naturally function by wedging cusp against incline, and cavities/fillings disrupt the strength of the tooth. Merely covering a crack with the same size and shape filling will do nothing. Unfortunately, post-op sens after composite fillings is often falsely attributed to a "crack" (requiring an RCT!), or a "high spot". If you have pain due to a crack, a pathognomonic sign is pain upon release of biting pressure, not random pain "...without any triggers...".

Thank you so much for your inputs @MattKW.
Appreciate it.
Thanks for letting me know about the crack pain.

 

[Du_deleted]

Just an update on my issue.
I am in my native country now and I went to a dentist here. And told my past dental history. He took x-ray for that particular tooth and he checked for cold sensitivity. He said it was a very shallow filling. I feel sensitive to crunchy foods after my refilling. So he applied some desensitizing agent on that tooth. He said that should improve the sensitivity. He also prescribed the desensitizing tooth paste.
He told me to see for a week if that sensitivity subsides. If not, he says he will do the root canal with capping. He says that will solve the issue immediately. Also, he says this tooth looks healthy on the x-ray. So let's wait and see before we do root canal.

He applied some desensitizing gel and press on the blue light as we do with fillings. And after that, he checked for bite and put on some water floss. I feel the taste as bitter. Does it mean the desensitizing agent doesn't bond properly? I forgot to ask this to him. Why did I feel bitter taste? Is it harm if it doesn't bonded and I swallowed?
Any inputs @Busybee ,@honestdoc , @MattKW .

 

[Du_deleted]

Is root canal with capping is a good option to solve this issue?

 

[Busybee]

Is root canal with capping is a good option to solve this issue?

Not if you have a crack going below the gum down the root. But hopefully the dentist would see that when working on the tooth. I thought you were planning to get the filling changed to amalgam as a first step?

 

[Peter2019]

I cracked a lower molar tooth eating a French fry in Marrakech at the start of a hiking trip up a mountain in North Africa. I just took care to avoid eating on it or putting pressure on as it was like an electric shock to eat hot food. I had it fixed as soon as I got home. So I hope you will be fine too.

What kind of "french fry" was this that it could crack a tooth ? I thought that french fries were soft ?

 

[Busybee]

What kind of "french fry" was this that it could crack a tooth ? I thought that french fries were soft ?

Sorry thinking back I cracked it crunching polo mints. But i didn't realise it was cracked until a few days later when I ate the french fry in Marrakech. A friend's premolar broke in half eating soup on a ski holiday,but that was obviously the last straw rather than the cause. The straw that broke the camel's back.

But I did crack a lower molar with a massive filling when I was I was still at school in my teens and the thin wedge of tooth left came off. That was on an actual "French fries" crisp/chip . They are made by walkers and can be pretty tough. it's pretty easy to crack restored teeth if you abuse them with hard foods. I almost popped a crown off with a fishbone the other day. Luckily it was just bruised.

 

[Du_deleted]

Not if you have a crack going below the gum down the root. But hopefully the dentist would see that when working on the tooth. I thought you were planning to get the filling changed to amalgam as a first step?

Thank you so much for your reply.
Yes. I wanted to change it to amalgam. But none of the dentist are doing amalgam. They say, no need to refill that for the third time. We can do root canal with a crown for this sensitivity issue.
Also, I am not sure if I have a crack. The dentist didn't do any bite stick test to check for cracks. He just saw the x-ray and examined the tooth. I will go back again and ask for bite stick test.
Also, he did do small bite changes on that tooth as he see some high spots with carbon paper check. He filed it down. After that, I feel so tight on that tooth while closing my mouth.
Is that normal?

 

[blisskindental]

Flying can cause toothaches because your body experiences a pressure change with an increase in altitude, a condition known as aerodontalgia. You may notice a pain in your ears or get a headache for the same reason

 

[Du_deleted]

Flying can cause toothaches because your body experiences a pressure change with an increase in altitude, a condition known as aerodontalgia. You may notice a pain in your ears or get a headache for the same reason

Thank you so much.
I did fly without any issues and I am currently in other country and checked with new dentist here. And I have updated the things happened. And asked for opinions.
Anyways, thanks for your reply.

 

[Du_deleted]

Not if you have a crack going below the gum down the root. But hopefully the dentist would see that when working on the tooth. I thought you were planning to get the filling changed to amalgam as a first step?

Thank you so much for your reply @Busybee.
Yes. I wanted to change it to amalgam. But none of the dentist are doing amalgam. They say, no need to refill that for the third time. We can do root canal with a crown for this sensitivity issue.
Also, I am not sure if I have a crack. The dentist didn't do any bite stick test to check for cracks. He just saw the x-ray and examined the tooth. I will go back again and ask for bite stick test.
Also, he did do small bite changes on that tooth as he see some high spots with carbon paper check. He filed it down. After that, I feel so tight on that tooth while closing my mouth.
Is that normal?