IADR Abstract Archives
Dental Barotrauma in Military Flight Outlines: an Ex-Vivo Model
Objectives:
Methods:
Results:
Conclusions:
Dental barotrauma includes fracture in tooth or dental restoration following atmospheric pressure changes. The literature relies on a very few studies from the first half of the 20th century and from case reports; meanwhile combat flight outlines has been changed so as the dental restoration and adhesion materials. Our aim was to examine dental barotrauma in teeth restored by composite materials in modern military flight outlines in an ex-vivo model.
Methods:
One-hundred and seventy five teeth, with no fractures\breakages\caries, were collected and randomly distributed into 5 groups:(1) control teeth with no restoration;(2) normal restoration;(3) leaking restoration;(4) restoration with air bubble;(5) leaking restoration with air bubble. All of the teeth in groups 2-5 were restored using composite material. Each group was randomly divided into 5 flight outlines: (a) ascent to 12,000ft at 5000ft/min rate; (b) ascent to 12,000ft at 12,000ft/min rate; (c) ascent to 20,000ft at 5000ft/min rate; (d) ascent to 20,000ft at 12,000ft/min rate; (e) rapid decompression from 17,000ft to 36,500ft in one second. Every outline was performed once. The teeth were coloured and checked for fractures.
Results:
After the exposure to the flight outlines, fractures were identified on the crown of 2 (1.1%) of the 175 teeth. Fractures were identified only in the restored group with air bubble under the restoration. No fractures were identified in the control group. Fractures were identified after flight outlines a and c (1 teeth in each outline). fractures were identified only in flight outlines with a slow pressure change (5000 ft/min). No fractures were identified inside the restorations or in the border between the restoration and the crown tooth.
Conclusions:
Fractures in tooth after exposure to military flight outlines occur even in this era of dental adhesion systems. Teeth with defective restorations are at-risk, when there is an air space under the restoration that creates pressure on the crown tooth following atmospheric pressure changes.