Gum Cyst Removal
Most dental problems can cause asymptomatic disease progression. One of those hidden dangers is a dental cyst. Patients may occasionally notice a slight pain when biting down on hard foods or do not experience any discomfort.
A cyst is a fluid-filled sac. Its walls accumulate fluid in the cyst cavity, which gradually increases in size.
The majority of cysts are more frequently found in the upper jaw than in the lower jaw due to the greater porosity of the maxilla. However, cysts are characterized by slow growth in both cases. Such sacs can take years to inflate.
Dental Cyst Causes
The most common causes of cysts at the root tips of teeth are dental injuries, untreated cavities, or failed root canal treatments. In all cases, immune cells rush to fight the infection that occurs around the tip of a tooth's roots. The body tries to protect adjacent healthy tissue from damage by sealing off the site of infection with a membrane and forming a cyst.
How are Dental Cysts Diagnosed?
In most cases, patients are unaware of their presence. Dental cysts are usually small and do not cause any problems. Patients may report pain when chewing hard fruits and vegetables or when pressing on a specific gum area. Cysts are often discovered as incidental findings during X-ray examinations done for treating other teeth. On imaging, they appear as round or pear-shaped lesions at the crown of the tooth.
Symptoms appear when the infection in the cyst cavity worsens and progresses to the formation of pus. During this period, the cyst tends to develop rapidly, and the patient experiences swelling of the gums and severe pain around the affected area.
Possible Complications of Dental Cysts
- As the cyst grows, it can cause considerable bone destruction. When the jaw bone becomes weakened, even a minor injury can grow into a more serious fracture. Roots of the nearby teeth can also suffer from cystic lesions. If it is the case, dentists must evaluate their treatment options.
- When the cyst appears in the region of the posterior maxillary teeth, it can cause inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. This condition is called sinusitis, which is characterized by severe facial pain, runny nose, and headache.
- When the cyst is filled with pus, it can break through the bone and provoke the occurrence of flux, an inflammatory process in the periosteum.
Treatment of a Tooth Cyst at Dental World Clinic
Depending on the individual patient’s situation, treatment can be non-surgical (the treatment does not involve surgery) or surgical.
If the size of the cyst does not exceed 0.8 mm, it can be cured without surgical intervention. The treatment is usually carried out according to standard practice.
- the dentist will access the root canals of the infected tooth and thoroughly clean them
- the inside of the tooth will be disinfected using special disinfection agents
- the dentist will seal canals with antibiotic paste
- a temporary filling will be placed to close the opening.
Based on the case complexity, the time taken for cyst treatment is variable, often taking around 2-3 months. If the non-surgical method is successful and the cyst begins to shrink and disappear, the dentist will fit a permanent filling.
There are situations when a long-term systematic treatment of a cyst is not suitable. For example, if a cyst gets larger or causes acute pain. Besides, the patient may not want to remove installed crowns from the causative tooth and then redo the dental work.
In this case, the cyst can be removed surgically without affecting the tooth. The procedure involves making a small incision at the gums and drilling a hole into the tooth to remove the cyst along with a small part of the root tip. This type of cyst removal is called resection. The cavity is then filled with bone grafting material, and the gum tissue is stitched back into place. The material stimulates bone growth, serving as a scaffold for new bone cells to grow on its surface.
After the cyst is removed, the tooth remains intact and withstands the forces of chewing. Also, the tooth can be crowned if necessary. However, root resection therapy requires the removal of dental pulp and root canal treatment prior to surgery.
Recovery from cyst removal usually takes about a couple of weeks. That is how long it takes for the body to complete the healing process and for the numbness to disappear. In rare cases, it is recommended to remove a cyst along with the affected tooth. Early detection of tooth cysts increases the chances of successful treatments. Therefore, rather than dealing with the consequences of a tooth cyst, you should visit your dentist regularly and get routine checkups to keep your oral health in the best form. Cyst formations do not go away on their own.