Why does a tooth hurt on a plane?
A passenger cabin is not held at ground-level pressure. Once the aircraft reaches cruising altitude, the pressure inside matches that at roughly 1,800–2,400 metres. As pressure falls, air trapped in a sealed space expands. If a small pocket of air sits inside a tooth or under a filling, that expanding air presses on the tissue around it, and the pressure is felt as pain. Dentists call this barodontalgia.
The ache ranges from a dull throb to a sharp jab that makes eating awkward. In most people it involves a single tooth and settles soon after landing.
Climb or descent?
Remembering which phase the ache began in is a genuinely useful clue for the dentist. On the climb, pressure drops and trapped air expands. On the descent, pressure builds again and the air is squeezed. The same tooth can behave differently in each phase.
- Pain that begins during the climb is described more often in teeth where the nerve is still alive but inflamed.
- Pain that builds on the descent stands out in teeth with inflammation at the root or in teeth that have had root canal treatment.
- A small pocket of air left under a recent filling can ache in both phases during the first few flights.
The flight uncovers a problem, it does not create one
A change in pressure does not hurt a sound tooth. What flying does is make visible something that has been progressing quietly: decay that has gone deep, an old filling leaking at the edge, a tooth with inflammation at the root, or a pocket of air left under recent work. Teeth that give no symptoms on the ground announce themselves the moment the pressure drops.
So a tooth that hurts in the air is not a tooth harmed by the air. Even if the ache fades after landing, that tooth is worth looking at. Where the source is never found, the same tooth will ache on the next flight, and the problem keeps progressing in between.
Upper back teeth and the sinuses
The roots of the upper back teeth sit very close to the sinus in the upper jaw, the air space behind the cheek. During a cold, an allergy or a sinus infection, the pressure balance in that cavity is disturbed, and during a flight the ache is felt in the upper back teeth. One sign separates the two: sinus pain is felt in several neighbouring teeth at once rather than in one, and it grows worse when you lean forward.
What a dental check before a flight covers
When a long journey is planned, a check a few weeks beforehand heads off most surprises. Decay and fillings that leak at the edge are examined on an X-ray and renewed where needed. After a new filling or root canal treatment, a few days is usually enough for things to settle; how long to wait is decided by the dentist who did the work.
The fullness in your ears clears when you swallow; a tooth has no such movement, which is why the ache can last the whole flight.
Should a flight be postponed?
That depends on the person and on the state of the tooth, and the decision belongs to the dentist who examines you. As a rule, after a recent extraction, a drained abscess or a tooth left open, a dentist may ask for a delay of a few days. After a straightforward filling or a scale and polish, no such restriction is expected.
If the ache starts in the air, there is only so much to be done: chew on the other side, keep away from very hot and very cold drinks, and tell the cabin crew if the pain turns severe. Even when it clears after landing, the tooth still needs to be looked at.
Frequently asked questions
Is toothache on a plane called barodontalgia?
Yes. In dentistry, barodontalgia describes pain that appears when a change in cabin pressure acts on a pocket of air inside a tooth or under a filling. On the climb the air expands and on the descent it is squeezed, so the phase in which the pain starts is a clue to whether the problem lies in the nerve or at the root.
Can healthy teeth hurt during a flight?
Usually not. A sound tooth is filled with living tissue and has no trapped air that could expand and press on its surroundings. Pain generally needs somewhere for air or inflammation to be held, such as decay, a leaking filling or inflammation at the root.
I have just had a filling. Can I fly straight away?
After most fillings nothing stands in the way of flying. If you feel a mild ache on the first flight after a deep filling or root canal treatment, note it and mention it at your next check-up, as air may have been left under the filling. Telling the dentist your flight date at the appointment makes planning easier.
How can sinus pain be told apart from toothache?
Sinus pain covers several neighbouring upper back teeth, grows worse when you lean forward and often arrives with a blocked nose. Pain from a tooth stays in one spot and sharpens when that tooth is tapped. An examination and an X-ray settle the question.
How can you tell ear pain from toothache in a child on a plane?
In small children the most common pain on a flight comes from the ears and builds on the descent; breastfeeding, a bottle or small sips of water help the ears to clear. If the pain does not ease with swallowing, the child points to a single tooth or cheek, or it carries on after landing, a tooth may be the cause, and the child should see a dentist.
Is it risky to fly after an extraction?
The dentist decides. If you have been cleared to fly, avoid drinking through a straw and chewing on the extraction side during the flight, and keep sterile gauze with you. If bleeding starts, bite on the gauze to apply pressure and tell the cabin crew.
This content is for general information only and does not replace an examination.
Edited by
Samed Kağan Bozkurt
Medically reviewed by: Eren Koluaçık, Dentist, Aesthetic Dentistry
This article draws on the clinical experience of the Papatya Dental team and is reviewed for accuracy before publication.
- Last updated:
- 2026-09-21
- Editorial contact:
- icerik@papatyadental.com
