Abstract
Barodontalgia is tooth pain initiated by changes in atmospheric or hydraulic pressure. This term was originally used to describe the dental pains experienced by airplane pilots in unpressurized cockpits. Owing to the recent increase in the popularity of scuba diving, barodontalgia has again become an important problem because scuba diving causes hydraulic pressure changes. We report a case of barodontalgia associated with evidence of maxillary sinusitis in the absence of an obvious cause of tooth pain. The patient was a 40-year-old man who had tooth pain in the posterior left side of the maxilla during diving. The clincal diagnosis was barodontalgia. CT showed hypertrophy of the left maxillary sinus membrane. We suspected that the maxillary sinus was involved. Antibiotics were given, and the hypertrophy of the left maxillary sinus membrane resolved. Subsequently, tooth pain during scuba diving disappeared. This case suggests that maxillary sinusitis may cause barodontalgia and that CT is useful in the diagnosis of this condition.
