ABSTRACT
The aim of this article is to introduce the concepts of military aviation dentistry, including facial barotraumas (external otitic barotrauma, barosinusitis and barotitis- media), dental barotrauma, barodontalgia, and dental care for aircrews. Special considerations have to be made when planning restorative, endodontic, prosthodontic and surgical treatment to an aircrew patient. The article supplies the military dental officer with diagnostic and treatment guidelines, and the principles of prevention, periodic examination, and dental-related flight restriction.
Subject(s)
Aerospace Medicine/organization & administration , Military Dentistry/organization & administration , Military Personnel , Barotrauma/therapy , Dental Care/methods , Dental Care/organization & administration , Humans , Practice Guidelines as TopicABSTRACT
Several oro-facial physiologic and pathologic phenomena affect individuals during flight or self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) diving. Physicians and dentists who treat aircrews and divers are occasionally challenged by those manifestations, though their uncommon appearance. This article reviews the two main barometric-related phenomena in the oral cavity: dental barotrauma and barodontalgia. Dental barotrauma includes all barometric-related dental mechanical phenomena. Tooth fracture or failure of dental restoration usually appears in a tooth with a leaking restoration or secondary caries lesion. In addition, changes in barometric pressure can cause a reduction in the retention of dental restoration and appliance. Barodontalgia is the oral pain which evoked during changes of the atmospheric pressure. This manifestation can be classified as a direct or non-direct pain. In most cases, the direct pain is caused by deterioration of pre-existed oral disease, whereas the source of the nondirect pain is an extra-oral facial barotrauma. These two barometric-related manifestations can cause a decrease in life quality and jeopardize the safety of flight or diving.
