Jetting Abroad With Oral Baggage: 4 Reasons to See Your Dentist Before a Holiday

When you are preparing to go abroad for a long awaited holiday, you have a million and one things to do. You need to arrange for visas, travel insurance and hotel bookings. Then there are the little things like sun lotion, short t-shirts etc. The list goes on and on. However, though the to-do-list is already lengthy, you might also want to add a dental checkup.

If you encounter a dental problem while on holiday, you'll kick yourself knowing you could have avoided one of the following issues by seeing a dentist.

In-Flight Toothache

During take-off, the flight itself and the descent, you will be subject to changes in atmospheric, or barometric, pressure. These changes in pressure affect your ears, and require you to 'pop' your ears in order to regulate the pressure.

However, if you have even a slight dental issue, the barometric pressure will cause you to suffer from barodontalgia, a painful and irritating condition. Faulty fillings, decay under fillings, advanced tooth decay and early stage tooth infections will all result in barodontalgia. The sensation is one of squeezing and may worsen during takeoff or landing.

Diving Toothache

Just as with flying, when you dive, you experience changes in pressure. If you have any kind of dental problem, such as a faulty filling or advanced cavity, and you dive to a depth of between 10-25 metres, you will experience barodontalgia. Do you then bring your dive to a halt and rush to the nearest pharmacy or grin and bear the pain?

Lack of Facilities

Sometimes, it's nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of the most popular tourist resorts and beaches. But what if, while you are relaxing on a secluded beach, you suddenly get a toothache? If there isn't a dentist for miles around, you may lose precious hours of your holiday attempting to find one.

Your Holiday Snaps

Unless you are a dab hand at editing photos, a dental abscess could ruin your holiday snaps. A dental abscess, which is caused by a build-up of pus at the root of a tooth, can cause your face to swell. It can also cause excruciating pain. How are your photos going to look if your face is swollen and the pain prevents you from smiling?

Don't let dental woes ruin your holiday. Ensure you add a dental check-up to your to-do list before embarking on your next holiday.