Gum flux - what to do?
Odontogenic periostitis, or gum flux, is a serious dental pathology. Periostitis can occur at any age. Inattentive attitude to the state of your teeth, as well as unwillingness to visit the dentist for timely treatment of caries can cause an acute complicated form of this disease - gumboil. In modern medicine, this disease is called periostitis.
Through the carious cavity, the infection reaches the pulp, causing inflammation. Pulpitis is painful, but when the pulp dies off, the pain also subsides. However, this stage is fraught with a special danger: the inflammatory process turns into a latent form, thereby delaying the start of treatment. The infection gradually spreads to the root of the tooth, and pus accumulates at its base. Sooner or later, the focus of bacteria is activated, causing inflammation of the jaw bone.
The acute form of the flux is characterized by purulent formations that come out and begin to accumulate under the periosteum.
Content:
- Flux symptoms
- Causes of gum flux
- Purulent flux on the gum
- The consequences of gumboil on the gums
- Diagnostics
- Flux treatment
- What to do if the flux burst on the gum?
- Flux prevention
Flux symptoms
The flux is diagnosed primarily with toothache. It gets worse when you chew or press on an aching tooth. There is also swelling of the mucous membrane and tissues surrounding the tooth and the appearance of a bump filled with pus on the gum.
If the diseased tooth is on the upper jaw, the lips and cheeks swell, and the eyelids and infraorbital region swell. If on the lower, then swelling of the cheeks, chin region may appear, the lymph nodes under the jaw enlarge and hurt.
The body reacts to infection with a rise in temperature (up to 38 ° C), general malaise. Moreover, in adults, the general symptoms are more pronounced than in children and the elderly.
In the acute form of the gumboil, severe swelling of the gums is observed, which can spread to the upper lip and nasolabial fold. After a while, pus spreads between the muscles, capturing the soft tissues of the face and neck. Such an advanced stage is fatal.
The chronic form of the flux is slow. It is characterized by the fact that the jawbone thickens under the affected tooth. Despite the slowness, the inflammatory process continues to develop.
Causes of gum flux
The cause of the flux can be teeth affected by caries, mechanical damage to the mucous membrane of the mouth or skin, inflammation of the gingival pocket (between the tooth and the gum), microbes introduced into the tissue during anesthesia with a syringe, tonsillitis, boils.
One way or another, the occurrence of a flux is associated with an infection. Delaying the start of treatment, the patient creates a favorable environment in his oral cavity for the growth of bacteria that eat away at the pulp and get to the periosteum. There is another option, when the patient stops treatment after the first session at the dentist. A temporary filling with arsenic, if not removed in time, destroys the pulp and also contributes to the development of flux.
If at the first symptoms of periostitis do not seek medical help, pathogenic bacteria destroy the pulp of the tooth and penetrate into the periosteum. If the treatment of the tooth is not completed, this circumstance can also cause flux on the gum. For example, if a temporary filling with arsenic is not removed in time, the pulp tissue is destroyed and periostitis occurs.
With a flux caused by caries, inflammation occurs due to pathogenic bacteria that have penetrated the tooth pulp. The initial stage of this process is accompanied by severe pain. After the death of the pulp, the pain subsides, however, this does not indicate recovery, but the beginning of a latent inflammatory process. It is difficult to diagnose this latent form of periostitis and start treatment on time. Purulent masses accumulate on the root of a tooth affected by an infection.
Soon, the focus of infection is activated, the periosteum and the bones of the skull become inflamed. Complicated periostitis in severe form is accompanied by an accumulation of pus under the periosteum.
Purulent flux on the gum
More than half of the dentist's patients suffer from odontogenic periostitis, or purulent flux on the gums. On the first day of its development, the flux is a small abscess. After 36-48 hours, it multiplies in size. Visually, a purulent formation looks like a lump located on the gum.
The pain that arose during the development of purulent inflammation radiates to the eyes, ears, temporal, frontal and parietal part of the head. The patient has chills, fever, dizziness.
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Odontogenic periostitis is an acute inflammatory process in the tissues of the jaw or periosteum of the alveolar process. Most often it occurs on the lower gum - where the wisdom teeth and the first molars are located, less often - at the location of the canines and the first incisors.
- When an infectious factor is introduced, the flux is localized on the upper gum - at the location of the wisdom teeth, the first and small molars.
In the surgical treatment of pathology, the surgeon makes an incision of the abscess, inserts a drainage into it to remove pus.
Types of microorganisms existing in the microflora of the purulent contents of the flux:
- Staphylococci,
- Streptococci
- Gram-positive bacteria
- Gram-negative bacteria.
Treatment of purulent periostitis is carried out under the guidance of a dentist.
The consequences of gumboil on the gums
The course of periostitis can be fatal due to the appearance of phlegmon. This complication proceeds similarly to an abscess, however, unlike it, the pus is not limited to the capsule. Purulent masses spread through the fatty tissue of the maxillofacial region.
Forms and localization of phlegmon:
- The deep form is localized in the intermuscular tissue;
- The superficial form is localized in the subcutaneous tissue.
Without treatment, the disease progresses, affecting healthy tissue, accompanied by increasing pain.
Signs of phlegmon with periostitis:
- Limitation of jaw mobility;
- Deterioration of speech and free breathing;
- Pain while eating;
- Violation of facial symmetry;
- Deterioration of the general condition;
- Severe hyperthermia.
Surgical treatment of phlegmon with periostitis is the only possible way out of this situation. It is carried out in the surgical department of the dental hospital. With sepsis, which began due to the flux, the disease can be fatal.
Diagnostics
The dentist makes the initial diagnosis on the basis of a visual examination and analysis of symptoms, and clarifies it using X-ray. Laboratory tests will help to clarify the degree and form of the purulent process.
Diagnostic methods:
- The easiest way to diagnose a flux is to lightly tap the tooth. The method can be effective if the patient has not previously taken analgesics that reduce sensitivity to pain.
- To identify external signs, the doctor conducts a thorough examination of the oral cavity.
- The dentist determines the sensitivity of the dental nerve by acting on it with heat and cold.
- To clarify the diagnosis, the doctor can stimulate the dental nerve with a light discharge of electric current.
- X-ray examination of tooth and gum tissue is the most accurate way to diagnose periostitis, it allows you to clarify the size of the abscess and its exact location.
Flux treatment
Treatment of flux (periostitis) depends on the condition of the tooth and the general condition of the patient. The elimination of the purulent focus is carried out by opening the abscess. Pus comes out, but for a complete outflow in the cut, as a rule, a drainage in the form of a rubber tube is left. The procedure is performed under anesthesia. Gum incision and tooth (or tooth root) extraction can be performed simultaneously.
If necessary, the dentist can prescribe anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agents, as well as a course of physiotherapy. These measures will help relieve inflammation, fever, and pain.
Antibiotic treatment is possible only under the supervision of a physician and in clearly measured doses.
It is worth remembering some caveats related to flux treatment.
- Do not put a warming compress on the sore spot! In warm temperatures, bacteria will grow even faster.
- Avoid taking antibiotics before consulting your dentist.
- Do not take pain relievers 2 hours before visiting a specialist. You may have to endure pain during this time, but the doctor will be able to make a diagnosis easier and more accurately.
- Stop using aspirin after opening your gums as it will increase your risk of bleeding.
- If, 10 hours after elimination of the purulent focus from the opened gum, the pain does not subside, consult a doctor immediately.
What to do if the flux burst on the gum?
Some dental patients suffering from inflammation of the tissues of the oral cavity are faced with the fact that the flux on the gums spontaneously bursts. After the opening of the flux and the release of pus, the pain and other symptoms of periostitis subside, the patients feel relief. Often they believe that the pathology has resolved spontaneously, and do not go to the dentist.
This tactic is completely wrong and can cause serious complications. The pathogenic microflora of the purulent mass remains in the oral cavity and after a while causes a relapse of periostitis. In case of spontaneous opening of an abscess on the gum, you should definitely contact your dentist for the treatment of periostitis, a dangerous disease with severe complications.
Flux prevention
Prevention of gumboil (periostitis) includes preventive measures against caries, since in its essence the gumboil is a consequence of advanced caries: bacteria in the mouth first destroy the tooth, and then get to the tissues of the periosteum. To prevent this, you should brush your teeth at least twice a day. The brush should be gentle and soft, and the toothpaste should contain fluoride. Mouth rinses are recommended after each meal.
Do not forget to remove tartar in a timely manner: it accumulates a lot of harmful bacteria that contribute to the development of caries.
An important preventive measure is regular visits to the dentist. They must be performed at least twice a year. Diseases of the teeth and gums will be easier to correct in the initial stages.
To prevent flux, it is recommended to eat more vegetables and fruits, especially apples and carrots. You can drink freshly squeezed juices or eat these foods whole. Chewing hard fruits and vegetables will help strengthen your gums and teeth.
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The author of the article: Muravitsky Boris Viktorovich, dentist, especially for the website ayzdorov.ru
