Tooth Cyst (at The Root) - Causes And Symptoms, Removal Of The Cyst At The Root Of The Tooth (operation)

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-15 09:49

Causes and symptoms of cysts at the root of the tooth

Content:

• Signs and symptoms of a tooth cyst
• Causes of tooth cysts
• Tooth cyst, after tooth extraction
• Why is a tooth cyst dangerous?
• Tooth cyst treatment
• Tooth cyst removal (operation)
• Tooth cyst prevention

A tooth cyst is a dental disease in which a neoplasm appears at the apex of the tooth root, which is a round cavity in the bone tissue, lined with a fibrous membrane from the inside and filled with pus. This disease occurs due to an infection in the root canals of the tooth.

There are also several types of tooth cysts. They are classified according to the causes of occurrence and the place of their localization.

At the place of localization, there are:

• Wisdom tooth cyst.
• Tooth cyst in the maxillary sinus.
• Anterior cyst.

Types of cysts for reasons of occurrence:

• Teething cyst - most often occurs in children aged 7 to 10 years.
• Paradental (retromolar) cyst - appears with a mediocre eruption of a wisdom tooth and its chronic inflammation.
• A follicular (tooth-containing) cyst is formed due to infection of a tooth germ or an unerupted or supernumerary tooth.
• Primary cyst - is formed when the development of a tooth is impaired from the remnants of tooth-forming tissue.
• A radicular cyst is a cyst that forms at the root of a tooth and usually develops due to chronic periodontal disease.
• Residual cyst occurs in the bone after tooth extraction.

In addition to a tooth cyst, a dangerous neoplasm is also distinguished - a granuloma. A dental granuloma is an inflammation of the periodontium, which is a small, rounded formation located in the area of the tooth root. This disease, as well as a tooth cyst, is characterized by a long, asymptomatic course. A granuloma is aggravated by some factors, which, as a rule, do not differ from the factors that cause an exacerbation of a tooth cyst.

These diseases are very similar, but their nature is different. So, a cyst of a tooth has a capsule containing an inflammatory exudate. So its outline can be clearly seen on the X-ray.

Granuloma does not have a capsule and is an inflammatory focal proliferation of connective tissue cells. Its boundaries are not so clearly visible in the picture.

Signs and symptoms of a tooth cyst

Often, the development of a cyst is completely asymptomatic, or with barely noticeable symptoms: rare small pains when biting on a tooth or mild soreness when pressing on the gum. In this case, the cyst is detected quite by accident - on radiographs when treating other teeth.

The main signs of a cyst begin to appear already at a late stage in the development of a neoplasm. The main symptoms of a cyst:

• Aching or pulling pain that only gets worse all the time. It is difficult to get rid of it with simple analgesics and folk remedies. Initially, pain may appear when chewing on the inflicted tooth.
• The appearance of edema. When a cyst occurs, the gum around the diseased tooth turns red and swells.
• High fever occurs due to infection. In the cavity of the cyst there are pathogenic microbes that the body tries to cope with. So the patient often has general malaise and fever. Antibiotics are used to kill the infection.
• Headaches that most often appear with the development of a cyst in the maxillary sinus.
• Suppuration, flux and sinus tract are external manifestations of an already formed cyst.

It is worth noting that during periods of decreased immunity, for example, against the background of colds, the infection in the cyst cavity intensifies and activates the formation of pus. In this case, painful sensations usually appear in the inflamed area, even if there were no symptoms of a cyst before. It may well be that the rest of the above symptoms will not keep you waiting.

X-ray is the only reliable way to know if a patient has a cyst or not. An exception may be a snapshot, within the boundaries of which the tumor has not entered. Usually, in this case, a new X-ray is taken, which completely displays the entire root system of the suspicious tooth and its neighbors.

Causes of tooth cysts

There are many reasons why a tooth cyst appears, here are the main ones:

• Tooth trauma.
• Infection in the root canal due to poor-quality tooth treatment.
• Chronic diseases of the nasopharynx (sinusitis, runny nose, tonsillitis, etc.).
• Weakened immunity.
• Periodontal disease is an inflammation that affects the periodontal tissues.
• Pulpitis is an inflammatory disease that affects the nerve bundle of the tooth.
• Periodontitis is an inflammatory process that affects the periodontal tissues.
• Chronic inflammation under the crown.
• Difficult eruption of a wisdom tooth.
• Caries.

It should be noted that not only adults are prone to the appearance of dental cysts. Many children, especially newborn babies, have Bon's nodes, or milk teeth with purulent cysts. They form in the area of formation of first milk, and then permanent teeth. In the future, such cysts can provoke various tumor formations. It is worth noting that cysts in babies are mistaken for teething teeth. In order to avoid such a mistake, it is worth knowing that cysts are usually whitish and their focus is unchanged in size. They are not specially treated, since cysts in this case are removed on their own, thanks to the friction of the gums with each other.

Tooth cyst, after tooth extraction

Sometimes a cyst forms after a tooth is removed. It is most often caused by infection when the dentist's equipment was not sterile. In order to prevent such an infection after the removal of any tooth, the doctor must prescribe antibiotics, which will destroy the approaching infection. Unfortunately, this is sometimes not enough and then the infection begins to manifest itself inside the body. Just like any other cyst, a cyst after tooth extraction is difficult to identify at the initial stage of development; there may be no external signs and symptoms at all.

The main symptoms begin to appear after the cyst grows to a fairly large size, despite the absence of a tooth. The main symptom of such a cyst is a flux, or periostitis.

If any signs of a cyst appear, you should contact your dentist for a diagnosis. A cyst, even under an extracted tooth, is dangerous, because it can grow so much that it will also affect adjacent healthy teeth.

The presence of a cyst under the extracted tooth does not guarantee that the adjacent teeth will need to be removed. It is possible that the doctor will be able to do with a small operation: he will incision the gums, drain and remove pus from the cyst.

Why is a tooth cyst dangerous? Consequences of the disease

A cyst that is not detected in time grows more and more, which leads to the destruction of bone tissue and its replacement with formations of connective tissue. As a rule, complications appear at this stage that lead to tooth loss. The main pathologies encountered with a tooth cyst:

• Purulent inflammation of the cyst.
• Melting of the jawbone due to an enlarged cyst.
• Inflammation of the lymph nodes.
• The appearance of chronic sinusitis due to the germination of a cyst in the maxillary sinuses.
• The appearance of osteomyelitis or periostitis due to chronic inflammation of the tumor.
• The formation of an abscess on the gum or on the cheek as a result of purulent inflammation.
• Formation of phlegmon of the neck due to prolonged purulent inflammation.
• Development of sepsis - blood poisoning.
• Spontaneous fracture of the jaw, resulting from the growth of a cyst and thinning of the bone in the area of the base of the jaw.

After analyzing the above complications, we can conclude that some pathologies are very serious and can threaten the patient's life.

In addition, if the patient has an established diagnosis - a tooth cyst, and he complains of the smell of pus in the nose, then this may be one of the signs of the onset of a purulent inflammatory process or a sign that the cyst has taken root into the maxillary sinuses.

Tooth cyst treatment

The therapeutic treatment of cysts includes antiseptic treatment, tooth cleaning and sealing. An alternative option for drug therapy is the introduction of a copper-calcium suspension into the root canal and the subsequent exposure of it to a low-power electric current.

When to use therapeutic treatment:

• If there are no fillings on the root canals, which must be unsealed to "get" to the cyst.
• If the root canal is poorly filled along the entire length of the canal.
• If the cyst is less than 8 millimeters in diameter.

The therapeutic method of treatment is carried out due to the possibility of access through the coronal part of the tooth along the root canal to the cyst. This is followed by disinfection of the treated wound. For this procedure, special drugs are used that affect the cyst capsule. Pus is pumped out of the cavity, and instead the doctor injects a special paste, which will promote the formation of new bone tissue. Only then will the root canal be sealed and the crown will be closed with a filling. After a few months, the patient must come for a mandatory examination, which will show the state of treatment.

This method is not as traumatic as surgery, but cases of relapse of the disease are more common than after surgery.

Laser treatment is the most advanced method for treating tooth cysts. In this case, the tumor is removed without any pain or difficulties. Plus, during the treatment process, the neoplasm is removed and the affected area is disinfected, which prevents an increase in the number of pathogenic bacteria. After laser treatment, the wound heals quickly, and complications develop very rarely.

Laser treatment is carried out in stages:

1. Unfilling the tooth, opening and expanding its canals.
2. Introduction of the laser into the dilated channels.
3. Disinfection of the inflamed area and "destruction" of the cyst with a laser.

The advantages of laser treatment:

• The inability to bring the infection due to non-contact treatment.
• Lack of pain.
• Preventive effect on the oral cavity.
• Disinfection.
• The ability to completely preserve the tooth without removing even a small part of it.
• Fast healing and no complications.

The disadvantages of laser treatment include its high cost and the fact that not all dental clinics have the necessary equipment for this type of surgery. So, if you have been diagnosed with a tooth cyst, then you should inquire about whether it can be removed with a laser.

There are a number of recommendations that must be followed in order to avoid the development of possible complications:

• Do not eat or drink for 4 hours after the procedure.
• Use a special antiseptic for the oral cavity, which prevents the growth of pathogenic microbes.

There is another method of treating cysts - medication, or conservative method. The therapeutic treatment of cysts includes antiseptic treatment, tooth cleaning and sealing. An alternative option for drug therapy is the introduction of a copper-calcium suspension into the root canal and the subsequent exposure of it to a low-power electric current.

When to use therapeutic treatment:

• If there are no fillings on the root canals, which must be unsealed to "get" to the cyst.
• If the root canal is poorly filled along the entire length of the canal.
• If the cyst is less than 8 millimeters in diameter.

Tooth cyst removal (operation)

Most often, for the treatment of a tooth cyst, an operation is performed to remove the neoplasm, since early diagnosis of the tumor is difficult.

Surgical treatment is carried out in the case of:

• If there is a post in the root canal.
• If a crown is installed on the tooth.
• The cyst is more than 8 millimeters in diameter.
• If the patient often has pain and the gum in the cyst area swells.

It is worth noting that quite recently the cyst was removed only together with the affected tooth, but now such methods and technologies are used to avoid such a radical solution. During the operation, local anesthesia is used, so that the patient will not experience any pain. The cyst together with the tooth is removed only as a last resort, for example, when the roots of the tooth grow into a cyst or when it is completely destroyed, to the very roots.

How is a tooth cyst removed? There are several basic surgical methods for removing a tooth cyst:

Cystectomy is the most difficult but also reliable method of removing a cyst. During the operation, the cyst is completely removed along with the membrane and the damaged upper part of the root. The wound is then sutured, and the doctor will prescribe antibiotics and antiseptic solutions to rinse the mouth. A single-rooted tooth is filled, and a multi-rooted one is removed.

Cystectomy is usually performed if the cyst has developed in the upper jaw and has reached a large size.

Cystotomy is a method in which the anterior wall of the formation is removed, due to which the cyst can communicate with the oral cavity. The main disadvantage of this method of treatment is the long healing process after surgery.

Cystotomy is performed if there is a large cyst on the lower jaw, and the base of the jaw is noticeably thinned; if the cyst is located on the upper jaw and the bone bottom of the nasal cavity or the palatine plate is destroyed.

Hemisection is the simplest method, focused on the removal of both the cysts of the tooth, and its root, and the part of the crown that is affected.

Recovery after surgery

After removing the cyst with a surgical method, you should not do warming compresses - this can accelerate the multiplication of harmful microbes, which can lead to infection. Also, after surgery, you cannot take aspirin, it can provoke bleeding.

The condition gets better about half a day after the operation, but if this does not happen, you should consult a doctor again. After surgery, the swelling does not go away overnight. Most often, on the first day, it is heard again, and only on the third day it starts to descend. A feeling of some discomfort is allowed, but there should be no sharp pain along the incision line.

Tooth cyst prevention

There is no way to be 100% safe from a tooth cyst, but there are ways that can reduce the likelihood of this type of tumor.

1. It is worth at least twice a year to visit the dentist and not refuse the proposed X-ray examination, especially if it is strongly advised by the doctor. The cyst can only be seen on an x-ray.
2. You need to monitor the health of your teeth. The most common cause of cyst formation is a chronic inflammatory process, so that any untreated caries or poor-quality filling can subsequently lead to the appearance of a tumor.
3. It is necessary to prevent the appearance of injuries to the jaw and teeth, because they can also provoke the appearance of a cyst.
4. All oral hygiene rules should be followed.
5. You should be attentive to your health. Many inflammatory diseases can lead to a weakened immune system, which can serve as a catalyst to trigger cyst formation.

If the above tips did not help, and you still have a cyst, you should know that a cyst diagnosed at an early stage is subject to drug treatment, without surgery and does not pose a danger to the tooth.

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The author of the article: Muravitsky Boris Viktorovich, dentist, especially for the website ayzdorov.ru