Why am I dizzy after seeing the dentist?

Why am I dizzy after seeing the dentist?  Dizziness after seeing the dentist is not very common but can occur.  There are a few cases that have been published and we have seen a few cases in our clinic.

Most individuals see a dentist twice a year for routine teeth cleaning.  Others require additional procedures that require longer periods of lying in a recumbent position with the mouth open for longer periods of time.

The longer procedures are typically when symptoms of dizziness will occur.  Other symptoms can be jaw pain, neck pain, imbalance and vertigo.

3 main causes

There are many reasons why you are dizzy after seeing the dentist.  They are outlined below:

1. Prolonged mouth opening.  Having your mouth opened for a long period of time can aggravate underlying TMJ.  Even though rare, this could lead to somatosensory dizziness.
2. BPPV.  Having your head in a recumbent position in a dental chair could cause crystals in your inner ear to come loose.
3. Cervical Dizziness.  Having your neck resting backwards but in an upward chin position could aggravate underlying neck pain.  This could then lead to cervical dizziness.

4 other causes

The above reasons for dizziness after seeing your dentist can be also related to 4 other factors:

1. Prolonged surgical time.
2. Use of rotary tools
3. Application of surgical mallets
4. Presence of comorbidities.

Bottom Line 

If you are having dizziness after seeing your dentist, we recommend first to contact your dental provider.  It is not their fault that you have the symptoms, it could be more related to factors as listed above.

If you do not get answers, do not hesitate to get in touch with the therapists of PhysioFit of North Carolina. They can help you reduce the symptoms through exercises.

Contact us today!