For people who fly in and fly out, the hardest part of a dental problem is usually the calendar. A tooth that twinges on the last day of a break is easy to ignore, and by day four of the next swing it may be keeping you awake in a camp hundreds of kilometres from the nearest dental chair. The most reliable fix is to plan dental care around the roster, so small problems are dealt with while you are home.
This guide covers how to do that, what to pack for site, how to judge which problems can wait for your break, and why one regular practice makes the whole thing easier.
Small problems grow while you are on swing
A worker in a city office who notices a rough edge on a filling can usually see a dentist that week. On a remote site that is rarely possible. Remote sites rarely have a dentist on hand, many have only a medic or nurse, and the nearest town may have one or two practices with no spare appointments for someone flying out in two days.
So problems sit. A cracked filling lets bacteria reach deeper into the tooth. Decay that would have needed a small filling can reach the nerve and need root canal treatment or an extraction instead. A wisdom tooth that flares now and then can become an infection. None of this happens because FIFO workers care less about their teeth. It happens because the window for early, easy treatment keeps closing before they get to it.
Plan dental care around the roster
The common advice to see a dentist every six months fits poorly with a 2 and 1, 8 and 6 or 4 and 4 roster, and appointments slide. It works better to attach dental care to your breaks.
Book your check-up early in a break, before the days fill up with family and errands. If your dentist or oral health therapist (OHT) finds something, try to have it fixed in the same break rather than leaving it for next time. Tell the practice your roster when you book. Treatment that needs two visits, such as a crown made in a lab, can often be planned within one break so you do not fly out with a temporary.
Clenching and grinding have been linked with stress, and long swings can be stressful and tiring. If you wake with a sore jaw or your partner hears grinding, ask about a custom night guard. Our guide to teeth grinding in adults explains the signs and options. Long shifts can also change eating and drinking habits in ways that affect your teeth, which we cover in our article on night shift and oral health.
What to keep in your site bag
A small dental kit can make an uncomfortable few days more manageable until you can be seen. Useful items include:
- pain relief that suits your health and medicines, checked with your pharmacist or dentist
- temporary filling material from a pharmacy, for a lost filling or a crown that has come off
- floss or interdental brushes, since food trapped against a gum is a common source of pain
- your regular practice's phone number and a copy of any recent treatment notes
Temporary materials only cover a gap for a short time. They do not treat decay, and a tooth that hurts needs to be checked.
Which problems can wait for your break
The site medic is a good first stop. They can help with pain relief and judge how urgent things look, although they cannot treat the tooth itself. As a rough guide:
Usually able to wait a few days
Brief sensitivity to cold or sweet foods that settles quickly. A small chip with no pain. A lost filling or crown that is not sore, kept clean and covered with temporary material. Chew on the other side and book in early in your break.
Needs attention soon
Pain that lingers after hot or cold, throbbing that wakes you at night, or a tooth that is very tender to bite on often means the nerve is involved or an infection is forming. Painkillers may dull it but will not stop it progressing. Talk to the medic about seeing the nearest dentist or flying out.
Treat as urgent
Any swelling of the face, jaw or neck, especially with fever, difficulty swallowing or difficulty opening your mouth. Dental infections can spread and occasionally become dangerous, so this needs prompt medical or dental care.
A knocked-out adult tooth is also time critical. Hold it by the crown, not the root. If it is dirty, rinse it briefly in milk or saline, and push it back into its socket if you can, ideally within 15 minutes. If not, keep it in milk or saline, or inside your cheek, never in water and never let it dry, and see a dentist immediately. The outlook is poor once the root has been dry for over 60 minutes.
One practice that knows your teeth
Workers who visit whichever dentist is closest at the time tend to collect scattered records. Each new clinician starts without your history, without earlier X-rays to compare, and without knowing which tooth was already being watched.
Returning to one practice each break changes that. Your dentist can compare X-rays from visit to visit, keep an eye on a crack or a worn filling, and set out treatment in stages that suit your time at home. You will usually receive a written treatment plan after an examination, often by email, which is handy to read on site and bring back next break. At Lumi we are open Monday to Saturday with late appointments until 9pm on Thursdays, and we can claim health fund benefits on the spot.
If something does go wrong on a holiday overseas between swings, our guide to dental emergencies while travelling covers what can wait and what cannot.
Common questions from FIFO workers
How often should I see a dentist on a FIFO roster?
A useful rhythm is a check-up early in every second break, with extra visits whenever you notice something. Your dentist or OHT may suggest a different interval depending on your gums, your fillings and your risk of decay.
Could a dental infection affect my fitness for work?
It can. A dental infection can cause pain and make you unwell, and fitness-for-work rules differ between companies, so check your own company's policy and tell the site medic about any dental problem.
Do mining camps have visiting dentists?
Arrangements vary between companies and locations, and many sites have no dental care on hand. It is safer not to rely on one.
If you work a FIFO or remote roster and want a regular practice to come back to each break, our general dentistry team in Melrose Park can book around your swings. See our current offers for new patients before you book.
