What are dental cyst and how to treat it?

A dental cyst is a cavity in which a pouch – the Greek word kustis means bladder – filled with liquid or semi-liquid material forms.

It is imperative that it be treated by a dentist as soon as it is detected. It is initially benign and easily treated, but can become dangerous if left unattended. When it becomes severe, it becomes extremely painful.

What is a dental cyst?

The cyst under the tooth

When it is smaller than 5 millimeters, it is a granuloma. Round or oval, it develops under a dead tooth or a crown, a baby tooth or a wisdom tooth, at the end of the root of the tooth. If left untreated, the pocket will continue to fill and grow.

The foreign body is caused by several factors, includingosteogenesis, which allows bone tissue to develop. The tissue accumulates and eventually triggers an inflammation that turns into a cyst that is called inflammatory.

Shocks can also lead to cyst formation.

The cyst on the gum

The cyst on the gum is congenital, which means that it is present from birth.

It can also be infectious and develop in conjunction with a cavity, abscess or shock. Bacteria proliferate and support the formation of the pustule.

What are the symptoms of a dental cyst?

The cyst is often detected late, when it becomes painful. Before, it can develop for several years, without you realizing it. It can also be discovered by chance, during a routine check-up or on an X-ray that concerned another problem.

The annual check-up at the dentist to detect cavities is also the way to reveal this problem in its development phase, before it becomes painful.

The first sign is swelling of the gums, or on the jaw. However, there are some warning signs that can alert you. Therefore, look out for the following symptoms:

• you sometimes feel intense and brief pain in your jaw;
• you feel pain, or at least discomfort, when you clench your teeth or chew;
• your gums are bleeding;
• you have occlusion problems;
• you received a shock that broke your jaw;
• your teeth move abnormally;
• you develop fistulas.

If you have any concerns, make an appointment with your dentist. He or she will need to take an X-ray or orthopantomogram, more commonly known as a dental panoramic.

What happens if the cyst is not treated?

Dental cysts are benign and easily treated. On the other hand, if you let it develop without treating it, you expose yourself to repercussions which can concern your mouth, but also a general deterioration of your health.

Here's what you risk:

• general contamination in your mouth;
• the formation of an abscess and pus in the tissues of your jaw;
• a brain abscess;
• a pain that will become progressively extreme;
• problems chewing ;
• general fatigue which may be accompanied by fevers;
• the loosening of the tooth concerned which will eventually fall out;
• in extreme cases, the deformation of the jaw ;
• the development of ganglions ;
• kidney infection;
• pain in your joints, throughout your body;
• sinusitis;
• respiratory problems;
• cardiovascular diseases.

Without intervention, it will grow larger and increase the size of the jaw tissue. Metastases will then form, as they do with cancer. The contamination to the rest of the body is done through the blood vessels.

What are the different dental cysts?

The nature of a cyst must be determined to decide on the method of treatment.

The inflammatory dental cyst

It is an untreated or poorly treated infection of the dental pulp. It can cause a swelling that leads to severe pain, but it can also remain discreet.

The dentist can detect it during the annual check-up.

The epithelial dental cyst

The epithelial dental cyst follows the evolution of your teeth and the growth of new teeth. It is formed during the growth of a tooth and its eruption. It is therefore more frequent in infants for whom we speak of gingival cyst.

The problem can be dentate or follicular, when it is located on the tooth enamel, while it is still included. The eruption cyst grows around the crown of the tooth.

The calcification cyst is a very rare benign lesion. You may also develop periodontal cysts and glandular cysts.

Cysts in the mouth

This lump does not only concern the teeth, but the whole mouth. They are no longer called dental cysts, because they affect the lips, the palate, but also the face and even the cervicals. They are naturally easier to spot.

The cyst of the palate

Also called nasopalatine duct cyst, it is a small tumor that forms in the tissues of the palate. This is a fairly common form that must be removed with the help of surgery.

The nasolabial cyst

The nasolabial cyst attaches to the lips. It develops by swelling the lip, so you can detect it early. It will require surgery to eradicate it. The doctor will open the lip to remove it and you will have to follow a treatment with antibiotics to heal and prevent infection.

The cheek cyst

The dermoid cyst is located in the tissues of the cheek, on its interior. It must be removed by a surgeon.

If it is external, the cheek tumor is less severe, but it still needs to be removed. This is a simple dermatological problem and not a tumor.

How is a dental cyst treated?

It is up to your dentist to determine how to treat a cyst. He will make his diagnosis after taking an X-ray.

You may only need to take medication that will stop the infection and allow the germ to clear up without medical intervention. Most often, surgery is required to definitively eradicate it.

Surgical operation to eradicate a dental cyst

The operation is performed by the dental surgeon, under local anesthesia. In extreme cases, general anesthesia can be considered.

It is an enucleation: the dentist incises the gum, empties the pocket of its contents and removes the pocket itself.

He will take this opportunity to verify that the cyst has not proliferated and that your neighboring teeth and gums do not need to be treated.

The dental surgeon must be extremely vigilant. If even tiny fragments of the pouch remain, a new operation may be required, as the pouch may reform.

When the anesthesia has worn off, the pain can be severe, which is why your dentist will prescribe painkillers.

Post-operative care of dental cysts

In addition to pain medication, the dental surgeon prescribes an antibiotic treatment over several days. They prevent an infection from forming and contaminating your entire mouth.

You must observe a drastic oral hygiene following the operation. Be very careful with your toothbrush. If the hairs prick the healing area, the pain is intense. You can also use mouthwash, usually the dentist prescribes it too.

For your diet, avoid hard foods, too hot or too cold. Chew on the opposite side of the operation. If you are a smoker, this is your chance to quit! When you suck on the cigarette, the heat released is intense and will heat the operated gum, which is very painful. On the other hand, the various substances contained in cigarettes are harmful to a healing wound.

Be patient, once the wound heals, you will regain all your dental abilities. In the meantime, your gums may bleed and be painful. Be sure to follow your medication and finish the antibiotics, even if you are no longer in pain.

Your dentist will schedule a follow-up appointment to check the healing and make sure the germ doesn't come back.

The operation is always painful, which is why it is essential to have regular check-ups, at least once a year. The earlier the cyst is detected, the lighter the operation. If you feel pain in your mouth, make an urgent appointment to see a dentist. The longer you wait, the more pain you will experience and the greater the risk that the infection will spread.

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