Tooth fistula – causes, symptoms & therapy

Dental fistula

Quite often, men and women suffer from painful problems with their teeth, which are not only caused by carious destruction of the deep tooth areas. In many cases, dentists diagnose dental fistula , which can be the cause of specific symptoms.

What is a tooth fistula?

Different types of fistulas are classified in pathology (the study of diseases) . If it is a dental fistula, it is referred to as an odontogenic fistula or dental fistula. A dental fistula develops in either the lower or upper jaw and usually affects a single tooth. Tooth fistula originates at the tip of the tooth root. With a dental fistula, a local inflammation occurs that arises from deep within the tooth.

Dental fistulas are more common in children and adolescent adults because in these at-risk groups, the growth and development of the jaws and teeth is not yet complete. In adults, too, fistulas form as a result of infections in the root tips, which only calm down after professional dental treatment.

causes

The causes of dental fistula are based on inflammatory processes in the root tip caused by bacteria . These microorganisms penetrate through carious damage to the tooth and can multiply in the absence of air. Degenerate tissue develops, which forms a fistula duct outwards through the cheekbones. Tooth fistula is a chronic course in which a purulent mass develops at the root of the tooth.

symptoms and course

The tooth fistula does not initially trigger any noticeable symptoms in the early stages. For this reason, this inflammation cannot be recognized immediately.

Gradually, those affected by a tooth fistula suffer from swelling in the area of ​​the diseased tooth. There is also a persistent state of tension and a slightly throbbing pain. A collection of pus occurs in the dental fistula, which presents itself as a small blister .

If the pressure in the dental fistula is too great, the pus escapes through the fistula tract and gets into the oral cavity. The pain caused by a tooth fistula gets worse as it progresses and the tooth fistula fills up again.

treatment and therapy

The treatment of a dental fistula is eagerly awaited by the patients because the pain is almost unbearable. In addition, it can even happen that a dental fistula has to be opened by the on-call doctor.

In a normal approach, dentists first try to treat the inflammatory processes at the root tip of a dental fistula with an oral antibiotic . Mechanical opening of the dental fistula reduces the pressure on the nerve of the tooth and the purulent secretion is sucked out. In the majority of patients seeking help, the aforementioned measures do not improve, so that further dental surgery is necessary.

After taking and examining an X-ray , the dentist can see if the inflammation has spread to the entire tooth. Then this must be extracted (pulled). A tooth can still be saved from a tooth fistula if only the roots have become inflamed. A root tip resection is then usually performed. The tip of the tooth root is separated from the rest of the root under local anesthesia. Another advantage of root tip resection for a tooth fistula is that the inflammation cannot infect other areas of the tooth.

It is often observed that the tooth affected by a dental fistula can no longer be treated because the patients come to the dentist too late due to the partial absence of pain. A tooth fistula makes it clear that the body’s own defenses are ongoing in the gums or in the jaw area. Targeted preventive care makes sense to ensure that this does not lead to the loss of teeth.

prevention

Effective measures that prevent the development of a tooth fistula are regular and correct dental care and healthy oral hygiene. Even with this method, the development of tooth decay, the so-called tooth decay, is prevented. The teeth remain completely intact and spotless. Bacterial inflammatory germs that can penetrate into the roots don’t stand a chance.

Another prophylaxis against a tooth fistula is a timely therapy, which consists in the appropriate rehabilitation of a tooth. During this procedure, the dentist can remove the carious areas on the tooth.

A check-up at the dentist also reveals the openings in the fistula tract that are already present and often not properly perceived by the patient. This can happen accidentally with a dental fistula.

The fistula tracts are shown very clearly by an imaging, X-ray procedure carried out by the dentist on suspicion. Therefore, only slight problems of the tooth occur, which are not too pronounced due to an almost preventive treatment of the dental fistula and the tooth can be preserved.

Dorothy Farrar

Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.

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