Scuba diving may be the unsuspecting culprit behind several dental problems. This water-based recreational activity is exhilarating for participants and has grown in popularity. Per the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), the world’s leading scuba diver training organization, it has issued more than 24 million certifications around the world. But while millions of people are taking a dive into open waters, some of those people are reporting experiencing dental problems after their deep-sea adventure. According to research conducted by the University of Buffalo, the new pilot study found that 41% of divers experienced dental symptoms. Dental issues are rarely considered a factor in the scuba diving process, but considering this new information, divers may find that consulting with their dentist prior to their excursions could be beneficial.
To become certified through PADI, would-be divers are required to undergo scuba certification, which is divided into three phases:
1. Knowledge Development: Divers learn the basic principles of scuba diving such as what to consider when planning dives, selecting the right scuba gear and vital and sometimes lifesaving underwater signals and other diving procedures.
2. Confined Water Dives: Divers will develop their skills in a pool or in confined water, such a palm beach or lake. They will learn how to set up their scuba gear, how to remove water from their mask, the proper way to enter and exit the water, basic underwater navigation, buoyancy control and safety procedures. Divers practice these skills with an instructor before embarking
3. Open Water Dives: The open water dive phase of certification consists of four, instructor-led dives taking place over two days where divers apply the skills they learned during the confined water phase.
As with any other recreational sport, scuba diving poses risks, and there is always the chance it can impact a person’s health. Yet rarely do people consider how it can impact their dental health. The University of Buffalo pilot study confirms that “due to the constant jaw clenching and fluctuations in the atmospheric pressure underwater, divers may experience symptoms that range from tooth, jaw and gum pain to loosened crowns and broken dental fillings.”[1] The constant jaw clenching is the result of diver’s holding the air supply regulators in their mouths. It is not a natural position for the jaw, and unsurprisingly, can lead to jaw pain. Dr. David Buck, a neuromuscular dentist in Seattle, Washington, fully understands the importance of proper jaw placement. In fact, he believes that improper placement can have a substantially damaging effect on other parts of the body both in the short term and long term because the jaw does not function autonomously. It works in conjunction with other parts of the body.
“The jaw muscles and the neck muscles work together all the time,” Buck said. “If you have unhealthy jaw muscles, you will have unhealthy tight neck muscles, and many people have chronic neck and shoulder problems that of the origin is tight jaw muscles.”
Those unhealthy jaw muscles are often a result of conditions like temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), but it is easy to see how those unhealthy muscles could be the result of an overstrained jaw for scuba divers. When the jaw is repeatedly forced into a non-optimal position, it causes undue stress and pain which affects other parts of the body. Continual misplacement of the jaw could even lead to more serious health issues over time.
“If the jaw isn’t expanded in a way to properly support the tongue, it can cause insufficient breathing, much like cases of sleep apnea,” Buck said.
With regard to scuba diving, “the dry air and awkward position of the jaw while clenching down on the regulator is an interesting mix” and can easily be the cause of the dental symptoms cited in the University of Buffalo study. 1
For people interested in becoming a certified scuba diver, a quick visit to the dentist to discuss dental health and appropriate jaw placement that protects the jaw might be the right move.
