Dealing with a cavity can make enjoying your daily activities more difficult. The pain makes it more difficult to eat and you may even experience some tooth sensitivity. However, a cavity can make it even more difficult to take part in extreme sports. This includes scuba diving. Diving with a cavity will most likely result in tooth squeeze. Tooth squeeze when there are small gaps and holes in your mouth. This results in an air pocket that is disrupted when you reach the ocean's surface. As a result, you will be greeted by a sharp pain. The pain can get old quickly if you dive frequently.

Get a Filling or Crown Installed Before Diving

The best way to avoid tooth squeeze if you suffer from a cavity is to get a filling or a dental crown installed. A filling works best to fill in any gaps if the cavity is still small. However, if there is extensive damage, then you will need to get a crown. While installing a crown, your dentist will shave down the areas of your tooth that are damaged and fit the cap over it. This will prevent further decay and gets rid of potential crevices. It is important to give your tooth a good amount of time to settle and properly heal after a filling or crown before resuming diving. This will ensure that the restoration has enough time to solidify and will not loosen under pressure.

Seal the Tooth with Dental Wax

If you are unable to see a dentist before your next dive, then you can seal the tooth with dental wax. Dental wax works well from preventing the external elements from getting in and out of the tooth. The wax should be applied to a dried tooth. You can use a cotton ball to get rid of any saliva on or around the tooth. Hold the wax against your tooth for a few minutes to ensure that it will remain secure during your dive. However, dental wax is only a temporary solution and should not be used in place of seeing a dentist. It is important to see a dentist immediately after your dive is done.

If you are an avid diver and have any kind of cavity, then it will be difficult for you to avoid developing tooth squeeze each time that you dive. Use these tips to ensure that you are able to make it through the dive as comfortable as possible. Contact a business such as Carolina Forest Family Dentistry for more information.