Periostitis of the tooth

Periostitis of the tooth - also known as gumboil - is a purulent disease, the localization of which is an inflammatory process that occurs in the periosteum of the facial-maxillary region.

In most cases, the impetus for the development of the disease is a complication of periodontal and dental diseases.

Causes of tooth periostitis

To prevent or at least minimize the consequences of the disease, it is necessary to understand and clarify the reasons that become the basis for the development of tooth periostitis.

• One of the main typical causes of periosteum inflammation can be called dental diseases. Tooth decay, periodontitis... - all this is a source of infection and a "gate" that are predisposing factors for the development of tooth periostitis. It is not news that many people are panicky afraid of the dentist's office, and sit until the last moment, when in many cases it is impossible to save the tooth. But the worst thing is that the infection affects the periosteum, an inflammatory and then a purulent process occurs. And as a result - tooth periostitis.
• Another cause of tooth periostitis, less common but not so rare, is jaw trauma or fracture. With such trauma, not only the bone but also the soft tissues are damaged. This allows pathogenic flora to penetrate deeper through the wound.
• It is quite rare, but still possible to infect tissues through blood transfusion, injection, and also from another inflammatory zone through blood vessels. This cause of the disease is more common in children, less common in adults.

If the disease has already affected the body, and a person tries to fight it on his own, without going to the doctor, the disease seems to retreat for a while, the pain subsides. But the disease does not leave the patient, it continues to develop, but with "blurred" symptoms. Through the dental canal, the infection gets to the root of the tooth, destroying the nerve endings that approach this area. The decomposed nerve tissue is an excellent nutrient medium for the reproduction and development of pathogenic microorganisms.

The inflammation begins to cover an ever larger area, and the microbes have a toxic effect on the human body. The tooth itself and the gums surrounding it become a "time bomb" - a source of infection that is ready to break out and spread throughout the body via the blood vessels.

The inflammatory process spreads to the periosteum. As a result, the patient acquires a disease called tooth periostitis.

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Symptoms of tooth periostitis

Our body is a whole, self-sufficient organism and all processes occurring in it are interconnected. The same can be said about diseases affecting humans. Therefore, many symptoms of tooth periostitis can be attributed to several diseases, but there are also individual characteristics, which together give a complete picture of a specific disease.

• Swelling of the gums begins to appear, and gradually it spreads to the victim’s cheek.
• Painful sensations appear in the area of the affected tooth. The pain intensifies when biting and when tapping on the diseased tooth.
• After a couple of days, the inflammatory process also affects the periosteum, where an abscess forms.
• Depending on the location of the infected tooth, the swelling affects the lower eyelid, cheek, labial fold, which eventually begins to go numb (if the teeth located on the upper jaw are affected). If the infection is located on the lower jaw, the swelling can cover the lip, chin and move to the neck area.
• Quite often this disease is accompanied by an increase in temperature – up to 38 ^o C.
• In advanced cases of tooth periostitis, purulent masses begin to be released from the abscess, which can exit through the affected gum.
• After the abscess has burst, the pain subsides for a short time, but after some time it resumes with renewed vigor.

The most common complication of this disease can be the development of osteomyelitis of the jaw.

Periostitis after tooth extraction

Periostitis (or as it is often called by the people, gumboil) is a disease accompanied by inflammation occurring in the deep tissues of the jaw area with the rapid development of purulent sacs. This disease is very often activated by infectious lesions and inflammatory processes in the pulp, carious tooth, periostitis can often develop after tooth extraction.

Dentists consider several varieties of this disease:

• Acute form of serous periostitis.
• Acute form of purulent periostitis.
• Chronic form of periostitis.
• Diffuse form of acute gumboil.

Periostitis of the tooth when diagnosing the serous acute form of the disease progresses very rapidly (over the course of two to three days). The basic symptoms are acutely expressed. In this case, the inflammatory process covers the periosteum, the course of the disease occurs with the formation of exudate. If the exudate is formed in the form of a cyst with a localization site under the periosteum, during the course of the disease there is tissue exfoliation and necrotic bone damage. Most often, this form progresses after pulpitis, caries or as a result of unqualified tooth extraction. Cases of tooth periostitis after receiving injuries and severe bruises in the face-jaw area are not uncommon.

The acute form of the disease with its purulent manifestation is characterized by severe pulsating pain. Depending on the location of the affected tooth, pain may manifest itself in the temporal region and in the area of the ear and eye socket, and also spread to the chin-neck area. In this case, warming up and applying warming compresses are absolutely contraindicated. This only stimulates the development of pathogenic microflora, and the inflammatory process begins to capture new areas at an increased rate. In order to reduce the intensity of pain, on the contrary, it is better to apply cold. The cause of this form of tooth periostitis may be trauma or an extracted tooth.

The chronic periostitis form is less common. In this case, the site of development of the inflammatory process most often becomes the periosteum of the lower jaw. Chronic gumboil is weakly expressed symptomatically. The swelling is small, it can progress over several weeks (less often even years). At the same time, facial features practically do not change. Periostitis reminds of itself quite rarely, with weak bursts of symptoms. The process is characterized by new bone formation from the inner sublayer of the periosteum, accompanied by inflammation of the periosteal tissue.

Diffuse acute gumboil. With the development of this form of tooth periostitis, acute pain in the tooth area is observed, accompanied by an increase in temperature to 37÷38 ° C. General deterioration of the patient's condition with the appearance of symptoms of intoxication of the body.

Diagnosis of dental periostitis

If you have recognized symptoms of developing periostitis of the tooth in yourself or someone close to you, do not postpone a visit to the dentist. The sooner the patient gets to a specialist, the less difficult his treatment and subsequent complications will be.

The dentist will listen to the patient's complaints and conduct a thorough examination. Only after this and also on the basis of, if necessary, laboratory and X-ray studies, the diagnosis of tooth periostitis will be completed and a diagnosis will be made.

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Treatment of dental periostitis

Diagnosis and treatment of dental periostitis should only take place in specialized dental clinics, under the supervision of a doctor, since self-treatment of any disease, including dental periostitis, is fraught with serious complications.

Initially, when making a diagnosis, the doctor prescribes an X-ray. This examination is necessary in order not to miss a deeper inflammation - osteomyelitis of the jaw. The image will also show the exact location of the inflammation.

Treatment of this disease is complex. Most often, it begins with the removal of the diseased infected tooth. But if the victim seeks help in time and there is a chance to save the tooth, the surgeon will clean it very thoroughly, remove the nerve and seal the canal with a filling. After that, under local anesthesia, the dental surgeon cuts the gum, allowing the accumulated fluid and purulent masses to exit. The wound and the site of infection are treated with special medical antiseptics. Discharge may appear from the cut for some time. For better drainage, the doctor inserts a drain.

Next, based on the degree of neglect of the disease, the dentist prescribes intensive antibacterial therapy. Usually the patient receives antibiotics, physical procedures (ultrasound and laser therapy). If necessary, the patient is also prescribed applications of antibacterial drugs. All this is prescribed to the patient only after the drainage is removed.

To relieve pain, cold is applied to the inflamed area, the doctor recommends rinsing (with any herbal infusions that have antibacterial properties, or simply an aqueous solution of baking soda), and also prescribes painkillers. Until recovery, the patient should exclude from his diet hard food that can injure the sore spot, as well as spicy foods and food with a salty, sour taste. At the same time, it is necessary to increase the amount of liquid consumed, especially juices. In a normal course, the healing process takes about a week.

If the patient has contacted a specialized clinic in time and received treatment at the proper level, then, as a rule, side effects and complications do not occur.

Prevention of dental periostitis

It is much easier to prevent a disease than to undergo treatment later, wasting your health, time and a fair amount of money.

Prevention of dental periostitis is not difficult:

• You need to be more attentive to your health, periodically visiting your dentist for a preventive examination. This will help prevent the disease or recognize it at its early stages.
• Pay attention to oral hygiene: brush your teeth twice a day, and rinse your mouth with plain water after eating.
• Pay attention to the food products that are included in the diet. They should be rich in vitamins and minerals.
• If you are diagnosed with periostitis of the tooth, do not put off visiting the doctor and complete the course of treatment.

Forecast of tooth periostitis

Any prognosis is based on some basic factors. If the patient did not delay visiting the doctor and completed the full course of treatment, then the prognosis for tooth periostitis in this case is definitely favorable. Even if the case is neglected and complicated (or its chronic form), with effective treatment, it is possible to overcome this disease without complications. The result depends, first of all, on the coordinated work of the patient with his attending physician.

It has been said more than once that you need to run to the doctor not when you can no longer endure it, but to undergo a periodic examination. This simple procedure can prevent many diseases, including tooth periostitis. Even if the doctor gives you this diagnosis, it is much easier to cope with it at the initial stage than at a later stage, when there is a need for surgical intervention and complex drug treatment. Treat your health more carefully, and it will not let you down in the future. Be healthy! Take care of yourself and your loved ones!