Treatment of a tooth cyst without extraction
The content of the article:
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Treatment methods
- Conservative treatment
- Surgery
- Alternative treatment
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Tooth cyst information
- The reasons
- Symptoms
- Complications
- Diagnostics
- Prevention
- Video
A tooth cyst (radicular cyst) is a small neoplasm located at the apex of the tooth root. Its inner walls are lined with epithelial cells, and the cavity is filled with a serous liquid with an admixture of cholesterol crystals. Not so long ago, the only way to treat the disease was to extract the affected tooth. But with the advent of modern surgical and therapeutic dental methods, it became possible to treat a tooth cyst without removing it.
Treatment of a tooth cyst does not always involve its removal
Treatment methods
It is possible to answer the question of how to cure a tooth cyst without removing it only after receiving all the examination results. In the initial stages of the disease, conservative therapy is possible.
Conservative treatment
The affected tooth is drilled out and its channels, through which the cystic contents outflow, are thoroughly dried. After that, they are washed with an antiseptic solution, and then substances are introduced that cause sclerosis (sticking) of the walls of the cavity formation. This procedure is carried out with short time intervals two to three times, after which the canals are filled, the crown is restored with the help of filling materials.
Six months after the end of treatment, the patient should visit the dentist again and be sure to take a dental X-ray, which will reveal a possible relapse of the disease.
In dentistry, laser radiation is used to remove the cystic formation of the root apex. The advantages of this method are:
- destruction of microflora in the area of surgical intervention;
- minimal damage to healthy tissue;
- minor bleeding.
However, in recent years, many leading dental clinics have begun to abandon the use of lasers for surgical procedures. This is due to the following circumstances:
- it is possible to achieve sterility in the area of the surgical wound using cheaper methods (antibiotics, antiseptic solutions, ultrasound radiation);
- exposure to laser radiation often leads to tissue burns, which lengthens the recovery time;
- the procedure is accompanied by the appearance of the smell of burnt meat, which is very unpleasant and causes nausea in many patients, the urge to vomit.
Surgery
If indicated, the doctor may recommend surgical treatment. Currently, the following types of operations are used to remove a radicular cyst:
- Cystectomy. It is used to remove small formations. It is performed under local anesthesia. The doctor makes an incision in the gums, and then completely removes the cyst, along with its capsule. Performs root resection if necessary. Establishes drainage and sutures the wound. After the end of the operation, the canals are filled.
- Cystotomy. Indications for this intervention are large root apex cysts. The surgeon removes the anterior wall of the formation through an incision in the gum and a hole in the bone tissue. Its cavity is thoroughly dried and treated with an antiseptic solution. Drains are installed and the wound is sutured.
- Hemisection. A sufficiently large cavity is made in the crown through which the cyst is removed along with the root. After the wound has healed, the affected tooth is closed with an artificial crown.
Alternative treatment
It is possible to treat a tooth cyst with folk remedies, but it cannot be cured. Various rinses of the mouth with infusions of plants with antiseptic effects (chamomile, sage, eucalyptus leaves), poultices and lotions can somewhat reduce the activity of the inflammatory process, the severity of pain and discomfort. However, none of the folk methods can act directly on the cystic formation, contribute to its resorption.
In addition, trying to cope with the problem with folk methods, patients waste time and seek medical help in the later stages of the disease, when complications develop. As a result, it is impossible to save the affected tooth in most cases and it has to be removed. However, in this case, even after the removal of the problem tooth, a sufficiently large focus of destruction remains in the jawbone; to close it, it is necessary to use special bone blocks, which significantly increases both the duration of treatment and its cost.
Tooth cyst information
The reasons
The inflammatory process leads to the occurrence of cystic formation. In an effort to limit its spread, the body forms a capsule of connective tissue around the pathological focus. The most common causes of the formation of a radicular cyst are:
- carious process;
- granulomatous periodontitis;
- malocclusion;
- Difficulty erupting a wisdom tooth;
- chronic inflammatory diseases of the ENT organs (tonsillitis, otitis media).
Symptoms
For a long time, cystic formation in the area of the apex of the root can manifest itself with minimal signs, which can only be detected by a dentist during an examination.
One of the first symptoms of the disease is the darkening of the color of the crown of the affected tooth. Percussion (tapping) does not cause pain or discomfort in the patient. When probing the canals, a small amount of liquid with a yellowish tint is released (the procedure itself is painless).
Complications
In the absence of treatment, a growing cyst causes a gradual destruction of bone tissue, which can lead to a spontaneous fracture of the jaw (occurs with minimal mechanical stress).
When an infection enters the cavity of a cystic neoplasm, its suppuration begins. This is accompanied by the appearance of the following symptoms:
- pain in the area of the affected tooth;
- increased body temperature;
- chills;
- general weakness;
- decreased appetite.
If urgent treatment is not started, then the pathology threatens with development:
- phlegmon of soft tissues;
- fistula;
- osteomyelitis of the jaw;
- odontogenic sepsis.
When the cyst is localized in the upper jaw, there is a risk of its germination into the maxillary sinus. This is accompanied by the development of chronic sinusitis.
With a long-term existence of a cyst (over 15-20 years), there is a rather high risk of its malignancy, that is, degeneration into a malignant tumor.
Alternative methods for dental cysts are ineffective
Diagnostics
To confirm the diagnosis of the disease, the following diagnostic methods are used:
| Diagnostic method | Description |
| Dental radiography | On the roentgenogram, the neoplasm is an oval or rounded shadow with fairly clear and even borders, which is located in the region of the root apex or adjacent to its lateral side |
| Electroodontometry | In the causative tooth, the threshold of electrical excitability lies in the range of 100-120 μA. This confirms the death of the pulp |
| Cytology | To exclude malignant transformation of the formation, it is punctured with a thick needle and the resulting liquid content is transferred to the laboratory for cytological examination |
| X-ray of the paranasal sinuses | It is carried out with the localization of the formation on the upper jaw in order to exclude its germination into the maxillary sinus |
Prevention
Prevention includes the following activities:
- regular examinations of the oral cavity by the dentist (every six months);
- timely treatment of caries and diseases of the ENT organs;
- increasing general immunity (proper nutrition, playing sports, giving up bad habits, observing the regime of alternating work and rest);
- careful observance of oral hygiene.
Video
We offer for viewing a video on the topic of the article.
Elena Minkina Doctor anesthesiologist-resuscitator About the author
Education: graduated from the Tashkent State Medical Institute, specializing in general medicine in 1991. Repeatedly passed refresher courses.
Work experience: anesthesiologist-resuscitator of the city maternity complex, resuscitator of the hemodialysis department.
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