flying after visiting the dentist?

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Monpilot

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Monpilot
i have a dental appointment at 2:30pm tomorrow in Austin so I could either drive or fly...

I know i'll have a filling done on a tooth so that quadrant of my mouth will be numb for a few hours. but since there's no timeline for me to get back I can wait to come back later in the day.

but, does having the pain killer injected in itself mean i'll be impaired?

what advice can you offer? drive instead?
 
I don't think a local anesthetic is going to impair you unless you have some kind of adverse reaction to it. There may be other reasons for avoiding flight. Ten thousand feet over the Rockies is no place to find that the root canal was botched, once the anesthetic wears off.
 
Let us know when to listen to the LiveATC feed for your radio calls.
 
this time last year I went in for 4 crowns and 3 out of 4 quadrants of my mouth were numbed... luckily my brother drove from Houston to Austin because that evening riding back I was crying as the pain killer wore off.....

this will be just a filling so minor work comparatively.. no adverse reactions to the injection so i'll likely fly unless others chime in against it..
 
The only issue I've heard of is if some air gets trapped under a filling or within the dental work. As it expands with altitude the results could get interesting.
 
No need for a local anesthetic for just a simple filling. Tell your dentist to be careful. If he's a good dentist, there's no problem.

Now as for the filling trapping air in, I'd be curious about the results. Hopefully that won't be your problem. But slurring your speech while talking to Austin Approach, I will tune into that!! :)

Btw, which sadist ... errrr ... dentist are you going to here in our New California?
 
I'd certainly wait until the anesthetic had completely worn off, and I suspect if you asked FAA Aeromedical for a specific number, they'd say 24 hours.
 
kgruber said:
Your problem might be not having enough money for the return trip.
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Fill the tank before the tooth.
BigBadLou said:
No need for a local anesthetic for just a simple filling. Tell your dentist to be careful. If he's a good dentist, there's no problem.

Now as for the filling trapping air in, I'd be curious about the results. Hopefully that won't be your problem. But slurring your speech while talking to Austin Approach, I will tune into that!! :)

Btw, which sadist ... errrr ... dentist are you going to here in our New California?
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"Is it safe?"
 
jim.nelson said:
The only issue I've heard of is if some air gets trapped under a filling or within the dental work. As it expands with altitude the results could get interesting.
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I twice had sudden, excruciating pain from a filling while climbing rapidly in a Cirrus.

Went from zero to about 10 virtually instantly.

Flying would probably be fine, but with the stress and the anaesthetics, I think I know what the Most Conservative Action would be.
 
i'll be in an archer III so climbing rapidly up to 5,500 won't be a problem :(

luckily my dentist is also a pilot so i'll tell him to take it easy on whatever it is they inject in the gums and to not leave air pockets!

my dentist is at Arboretum Dental. after dealing with 3-4 dentists in Houston who only wanted to upcharge, I decided to go there because the dentist is a childhood friend who won't fleece me...
 
As a professional pilot, I try to get dental work done when I will have at least a 24 hour rest period before flying again, because that is what my company will ask for.
 
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jim.nelson said:
The only issue I've heard of is if some air gets trapped under a filling or within the dental work. As it expands with altitude the results could get interesting.
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As a SCUBA diver and flyer I've asked more than a few doctors about this. If they seem to flippant to my query I really dig for a more complete answer. Not one has admitted the problem of which you speak. I've had a couple root canals and other dental work. I've yet to experience that problem. I still have that concern but as yet have no experience to back it up.
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Flying under anesthetic, local or general, is something I won't do. Aside from the slobbering into the mic or slurred speech I wonder the effects at altitude.
 
Richard said:
As a SCUBA diver and flyer I've asked more than a few doctors about this. If they seem to flippant to my query I really dig for a more complete answer. Not one has admitted the problem of which you speak. I've had a couple root canals and other dental work. I've yet to experience that problem. I still have that concern but as yet have no experience to back it up.
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It's real.

Believe me or not.

But it went from perfectly fine to that extreme pain you get when a drill hits a nerve virtually instantaneously.

We leveled off and it subsided as quickly, but had it endured and had I been alone in the plane it would have been highly distracting.

Can't say it was an "air pocket" for sure, but since it was precipitated by a rapid climb and subsided just as quickly once we leveled off, it sure seemed consistent with something expanding and hitting the nerve.

To be fair, that was not right after dental work - but I think that tooth later needed a root canal.
 
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Zeldman said:
As a professional pilot, I try to get dental work done when I will have at least a 24 hour rest period before flying again, because that is what my company will ask for.
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There's that "Most Conservative Action" thing again.

There may only be a 1% chance of problems after dental work, making an individual flight statistically pretty safe.

But spread that around over thousands or tens of thousands of flights, and the perspective shifts.

Anyway, that kind of conservatism is one reason why airlines are so much safer than GA.
 
I started one morning in the dentist's chair getting a filling and did the following flying that day.

9D9 -> ARB (swap planes) -> CAD (CFI check ride) -> ARB -> (back in my plane) -> 9D9 -> CLE (drop off the seller of my dad's plane) -> 9D9

I didn't end up in a fiery ball of death.
 
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Are we really debating if driving after having drugs is safer than flying doped up? Unless its a local drive, I would bring someone along or wait at least 3hrs before getting behind the wheel. Maybe more before getting into an airplane.
 
FastEddieB said:
It's real.

Believe me or not.

But it went from perfectly fine to that extreme pain you get when a drill hits a nerve virtually instantaneously.

We leveled off and it subsided as quickly, but had it endured and had I been alone in the plane it would have been highly distracting.

Can't say it was an "air pocket" for sure, but since it was precipitated by a rapid climb and subsided just as quickly once we leveled off, it sure seemed consistent with something expanding and hitting the nerve.

To be fair, that was not right after dental work - but I think that tooth later needed a root canal.
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I had a similar issue. I was crossing Lake Michigan to pick up Mike A and head down to have dinner with Doc Bruce in Bloomington. I departed from 800MSL and as I climbed to 2000MSL I got tear inducing pain in my upper jaw. Then I felt it "pop" around 2000 and it subsided. From 2000 through 4000MSL the process repeated. I slowed my climb rate, and it still did the same thing through 6000. And 8000. After each pop the pain went away, and descending was not an issue at all. Stayed low from C81 to BMI, but the process repeated crossing the lake on the way home.

There was an abscess and a root canal was in order shortly thereafter.
 
Jaybird180 said:
Are we really debating if driving after having drugs is safer than flying doped up? Unless its a local drive, I would bring someone along or wait at least 3hrs before getting behind the wheel. Maybe more before getting into an airplane.
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You really consider getting a shot of Novocaine getting doped up? Seriously? Do you stop flying when you put some hydrocortisone on a mosquito bite to stop the itching as well?
 
I thought the subject was post-dentistry. Both EdFred and Fast Eddie mentioned conditions which necessitated dental work.
 
Richard said:
I thought the subject was post-dentistry. Both EdFred and Fast Eddie mentioned conditions which necessitated dental work.
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I actually posted about my post dental flight experience first. Then mentioned the other.
 
EdFred said:
You really consider getting a shot of Novocaine getting doped up? Seriously? Do you stop flying when you put some hydrocortisone on a mosquito bite to stop the itching as well?
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No, but the OP does as well as others here. Hence the discussion of this or that choice. It's poor logic that it's okay to do one activity (driving) but not the other (flying).
 
Jaybird180 said:
Are we really debating if driving after having drugs is safer than flying doped up? Unless its a local drive, I would bring someone along or wait at least 3hrs before getting behind the wheel. Maybe more before getting into an airplane.
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Wait three hour for driving after dental work? Okay I can see wisdom teeth extraction when sedated, sure. I had 3 teeth pulled at once for braces when I was a teenager and I drove home solo from that appointment with bloody gauze hanging out of my mouth. I did get some strange looks but I apparently made it home fine.

2 months ago I had a crown to be put in. While drilling for the crown I felt some awful pain. The dentist stopped and said you need a root canal I'm done and can't do them here. So with a open tooth I drove to another dentist to get the root canal and then drove to work right after that.

As for flying..I'm conservative on that and I would probably wait unti it at least mostly wore off. If you can wait it won't be but a few hours before it wears off anyway. I'd go.
 
Jaybird180 said:
No, but the OP does as well as others here. Hence the discussion of this or that choice. It's poor logic that it's okay to do one activity (driving) but not the other (flying).
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The only time I haven't driven myself to/from the dentist after getting my driver license is, never. If I'm going under (teeth getting yanked) I get a ride to/from. Not for Novocaine or Lidocaine shots. If I am capable of driving, I am capable of flying - and passing a check ride apparently.
 
simtech said:
Wait three hour for driving after dental work? Okay I can see wisdom teeth extraction when sedated, sure. I had 3 teeth pulled at once for braces when I was a teenager and I drove home solo from that appointment with bloody gauze hanging out of my mouth. I did get some strange looks but I apparently made it home fine.
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Apparently you've never heard of DUI -Driving Under Influence (insert whatever the State wants here). Yes, I've heard of DUI charges sticking where the insert was FATIGUE. Are you really expecting a Highway Trooper to excuse you from having Novocain after you try to explain why you were a little left of center - that it had nothing to do with the Novocain but more because you were distracted by the show on the radio? Too big of a risk IMHO. I'll wait until I can speak clearly and not sound like an bumbling idiot.
 
Richard said:
I thought the subject was post-dentistry. Both EdFred and Fast Eddie mentioned conditions which necessitated dental work.
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My point was to simply consider that certain kinds of dental issues can have serious and sudden symptoms.

Implying that a new filling or temp filling might raise an issue that was not there before.

That's all.
 
EdFred said:
The only time I haven't driven myself to/from the dentist after getting my driver license is, never. If I'm going under (teeth getting yanked) I get a ride to/from. Not for Novocaine or Lidocaine shots. If I am capable of driving, I am capable of flying - and passing a check ride apparently.
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And I've never driven (or needed to) drive long distance to get to my dentist, but the OP does. Different situation here, which is why I stated that I would for a local visit.
 
Jaybird180 said:
And I've never driven (or needed to) drive long distance to get to my dentist, but the OP does. Different situation here, which is why I stated that I would for a local visit.
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I interpreted local visit as local anesthetic. :D

Me personally, if I'd drive it, I'd fly it. Whether 3 miles or 300 miles.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Let us know when to listen to the LiveATC feed for your radio calls.
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Hilarious. :D

After I've been in the torture chair gargling on a mouth full of fingers, all I want to do is curl into a ball and pout like a little girl with a skinned knee -- so I don't meet the psychological requirements for safe flight after a dentist visit.

I'd ask the dentist if he thinks altitude will be a factor on his handiwork. Other than numb-tongue, I can't imagine there would be.
 
schmookeeg said:
After I've been in the torture chair gargling on a mouth full of fingers, all I want to do is curl into a ball and pout like a little girl with a skinned knee -- so I don't meet the psychological requirements for safe flight after a dentist visit.
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Perfect use of the IMSAFE checklist! :lol:
 
Local anesthetic typically contains something like lidocaine with a vasoconstrictor such as epinephrine. Although lidocaine can have cardiovascular effects, the dosages used in dentistry are usually minimal.

Personally, I think it would be fine to fly within a few hours of a dental appointment; lidocaine has a relatively short half life and is metabolized quickly. BUT, I'm not the FAA.
 
FastEddieB said:
And then there's this...

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/205129.php
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not apples to apples. that study is a retrospective study of people that had invasive procedures and checked against an incidence of MI or stroke. I read the summary, and without paying for the subscription, it gives nothing about health histories or demographics of the patients. Also, I can't determine what they used as a control. Even so, their conclusion was "Invasive dental treatment may be associated with a transient increase in the risk for vascular events. However, the absolute risks are minimal, and the long-term benefits on vascular health will probably outweigh the short-lived adverse effects."

I definitely wouldn't recommend someone fly after surgery b/c then you're talking about possible sedatives and narcotic analgesics. Totally different than getting a routine filling done.
 
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