Dental cyst: symptoms, causes, treatment, and other & bull; hello healthy

Definition

What is a tooth cyst?

Dental cyst or a dental cyst is a condition in which an abnormal pocket can usually be filled with air, fluid, and certain materials in the oral cavity.

This type of cyst generally forms on the gums near the crown, the root tips of the eye teeth, wisdom teeth, and unhealthy teeth. In addition, oral cysts can also develop in soft oral tissues, such as gums and lips.

Based on the location where they occur, there are several common types of cysts, including:

• Periapical cyst: commonly known as radicular cysts that form at the base of a tooth as a result of pulp infection and tooth nerve death.
• Dentigerous cyst: originating from the tissue surrounding the crown of a tooth that has not yet erupted or has risen to the surface of the gum, this type of cyst is associated with impacted wisdom teeth.
• Mucocele cyst: a type of oral cyst that develops on soft tissues, such as the inner cheeks, lips, and tongue.
• Keratocystic odontogenic tumor (KCOT): This type of cyst, which occurs on the mandible near the third molars, has a tendency to recur like a tumor after a surgical procedure.

In addition, cysts can be found in other parts of the body, such as kidney cysts, liver cysts, or ovarian cysts.

In general, cysts tend to grow slowly and do not become cancerous. But do not rule out, the cyst can develop into a malignant or cancerous tumor.

How common are tooth cysts?

It is less symptomatic or causes symptoms that are easily noticed, so you will feel a new tooth cyst when an infection has occurred. Additionally, cysts tend to have slow growth.

Generally, small tooth cysts can be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs to prevent inflammation and antibiotics to treat bacteria if an infection has occurred. This is because small cysts go away on their own.

Meanwhile, to remove permanently, the cyst needs to be removed through a surgical procedure through direct handling by a doctor.

If you find discomfort and swelling in the oral cavity, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Signs & symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of a tooth cyst?

Just like cysts that attack other parts of the body, tooth cysts do not cause signs and symptoms, even pain for the sufferer.

Cysts grow slowly until you notice their presence only when they are relatively large and an infection occurs.

Even so, there are some signs and symptoms of a tooth cyst that you should be aware of in the oral cavity, such as:

• Sensitive teeth
• Loose teeth
• The teeth change position so that a gap appears between the teeth
• Swollen gums in certain areas
• Pain and discomfort when touching the gums
• Numbness of the face due to the cyst pressing on the nerves

In general, the symptoms above are similar to the symptoms in a tooth abscess, but the two are different. You may find it difficult to tell the difference between a tooth cyst and abscess.

Quoted from the National Health Service, tooth abscess has the main symptom of intense pain. This is followed by inflammation and swelling of the gums, fever, fatigue, rancidity, and bad breath.

Pain from an abscess can also occur suddenly and then increase more intensely over hours or days. The pain can radiate to the neck, jaw, and ears if not treated, for example with a root canal treatment procedure (root canal treatment) or pull out an infected tooth.

This is in contrast to a tooth cyst which does not always cause infection so that it is not symptomatic at all. Cysts can grow for months or years before you notice.

When should I see a doctor?

If you notice abnormal conditions in your teeth and gums, and develop symptoms like the above, you should immediately consider consulting a doctor to make a diagnosis and determine the appropriate treatment method.

In addition, cysts are generally quite difficult to observe with tests that you can do independently. It needs special dental examinations to x-rays of the teeth to observe the cysts in the tooth structure and jawbone.

Cause

What are the causes of tooth cysts?

If you have an infected cyst, there is a high chance of inflammation, swelling, and pain around the area where the cyst grew.

However, if the cyst is not infected, you may not feel any obvious signs and symptoms at all. The cyst will slowly grow over months or years, until it is large enough to be seen and felt.

There are several reasons why tooth cysts can develop in your oral cavity, including:

• Growth disorders in the mouth, for example the teeth grow sideways in the gums.
• Failure after following a root canal treatment procedure (r oot canal).
• Genetic factors, such as Gorlin's syndrome but this is very rare.
• Impacted wisdom teeth or teeth that fail to grow and are implanted in the gums. This condition is a common cause of dentigerous cysts that form around the crown of teeth.
• Trauma, infection, and improper treatment that results in dead teeth.

Diagnosis & treatment

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

How is this condition diagnosed by a doctor?

When you have a routine dental check, it's rare for a doctor to find a tooth cyst just by doing a physical exam. Only large cysts that may be seen and felt.

Although a cyst that is large enough can be detected immediately, a complete diagnosis is needed so that the doctor will know the cause of the cyst in the oral cavity.

Quoted from the Mayo Clinic, doctors will generally recommend several procedures, such as:

• X-ray of the teeth, CT scan, or MRI.
• Biopsy, which is by taking a sample of cyst tissue to be analyzed in the laboratory to determine the risk of a tumor or oral cancer.

After knowing the type and cause, the new doctor will determine the right and efficient medical procedure to treat a tooth cyst that you are experiencing.

How to treat a tooth cyst?

There are at least two methods that doctors can do as a medical treatment step, namely with drugs or through surgical procedures.

1. Medicines

Tooth cysts that are very small in size can go away on their own and can also be treated with prescription anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics.

Anti-inflammatory drugs are useful for treating inflammation caused by cysts, while antibiotics will combat infection-causing bacteria in the oral cavity.

Even though it doesn't require serious medical treatment, you are still advised to carry out regular dental consultations and treatments to ensure that the tooth cyst does not get bigger.

If the cyst is getting bigger and there is a risk of disrupting health conditions, then medical action can be recommended by a doctor.

2. Operating procedures

If the cyst is large enough and cannot be treated with medication, the doctor will perform a surgical procedure to remove the tooth cyst. This procedure is safe and painless, because the doctor will administer a local anesthetic to prevent pain during the process.

Quoted from the journal Radicular cyst and dentigerous cyst published by Makassar Dental Journal, there are two methods used to treat cysts, namely:

• Enucleation: a procedure to completely remove the cyst lining which can be performed when the cyst lining is easily separated from the adjoining bone. Enucleation can be performed for all small to medium sized cysts.
• Marsupialization: The procedure for returning the cyst to its original state, is performed by cutting the cyst lining and removing its contents. The effect is that the pressure on the cyst cavity disappears, stops spreading, and encourages shrinkage of the cyst.

To get rid of the cyst permanently, you may consider an enucleation procedure. It is different with marsupialization, which becomes an alternative if the enucleation method is quite risky, especially for large periapical cysts and dentigerous cysts in children.

To determine which surgical procedure should be performed, talk to your doctor first.

Prevention

What are some lifestyle changes or home remedies that can help prevent tooth cysts?

Although generally it doesn't cause serious symptoms, you can still prevent cysts from forming in the oral cavity by doing a number of things, including:

• Reduce consumption of foods and drinks that can damage the condition of the teeth, for example those that are too sweet, sour, hot, or cold.
• Brushing your teeth properly and regularly twice a day with toothpaste containing fluoride to prevent tooth disease.
• Improve oral and dental care, for example by using dental floss (dental floss) and mouthwash to clean leftover food and plaque between the teeth.
• Routinely check the dentist, at least every six months.
• Immediately perform dental treatment with medical procedures if you find problems such as cavities (caries), cracked teeth, or gum disease.

If you have follow-up questions, immediately consult a doctor for the best solution to your problem.