A fistula on the gum of a baby tooth in a child is a channel where a neoplasm with a hole is localized. This is called gingival fistula in medicine. In this case, you should immediately contact your dentist.
Fistula on the gum - a signal that reports a pathological condition in the oral cavity. It can form on the external or internal side of the gums. Usually it is visible with the naked eye.
The result of an erupted tooth
An incisor that has not fully cut through can often provoke the formation of a fistula on the gum of a baby tooth in a child. The space between the bag, which closes the crown of the growing incisor, and the enamel increases in size and is filled with liquid. As a result of all this, as a rule, a follicular cyst is formed, which is a thin capsule lined with flat multilayer epithelium. In the event that her membrane from the side of the oral cavity becomes infected, a serious suppuration process occurs. Such inflammation is chronic in nature, and it is provoked by the formation of fistulas on the gums of milk teeth in a child.
They can form on the mucous membranes of the palate, depending on the location of the tooth. The cause may be caries along with a underlying abscess. Sometimes the formation of a fistula in a child's face can also be observed. It usually occurs in advanced cases against the background of spontaneous opening of the abscess or after violations of the integrity of the foci of inflammation.
Why is there a fistula on the gum of a baby tooth?
What are the causes of this ailment?
Pus comes out through the fistulous canal, formed for one reason or another within the gums, which does not allow it to stagnate in it. In addition, this reduces the likelihood of damage to healthy tissue. But, nevertheless, it is difficult to call the gingival fistula a favorable manifestation, since its appearance indicates the presence of pathological processes. In children, a fistula of a milk tooth (in the photo you can see the process of its formation) can develop due to provoking factors.
Granulating periodontitis as a cause
Children can experience gum fistula mainly because of this disease. Granulating periodontitis is, first of all, a complication of caries, which affects, including milk incisors. If it is not cured in time, it will subsequently become the cause of the formation of an abscess and fistula in the child's gums. The problem may overtake if caries were treated before, but did it wrong or simply did not finish the corresponding process.
The presence of a viral disease or hypothermia in the child’s body also becomes a catalyst for the development of the disease.
Fistula over a baby’s tooth in a child can occur due to odontogenic osteomyelitis.
Odontogenic osteomyelitis
This pathology is the appearance of an infectious inflammation of the jaw bones, which is caused by dental ailments. Immunity in children is very weak, so the disease can develop quite rapidly. Due to the fact that against the background of this, the temperature rises sharply, it is necessary to treat the disease in a hospital.
Cyst as another reason
A fistula on the gum of a baby tooth in a child can provoke a cyst.
Such a neoplasm appears due to improper development of the incisors or a complete lack of timely treatment. In the event that at the same time, a cyst near the tooth is accompanied by a spreading infection in the tissue, then a fistula may well occur.
The appearance of odontogenic sinusitis
This is another reason for the fistula in children. Dental pathologies provoke him, and the disease itself is an inflammatory process of the nasal sinuses, which are located above the upper jaw.
Injury
Injuries can be caused when a baby falls. In addition, they are observed as a result of chewing solid food, inept use of cutlery and the like.
Influence of the inflammatory process
Most often, the appearance of the fistula is explained by the impossibility of teething in molars in children (this condition is also called retension). This manifestation is caused by the features of the gingival structure, as well as the early loss of milk teeth in babies.
A cyst may form in the area of the precipitated milk incisor, and if its membrane becomes infected, a gum fistula appears. Such a manifestation as retension is very rare. As a rule, this acts as an ailment that accompanies other, more dangerous, systemic diseases (for example, we can even talk about rickets).
Improper treatment as a provoking factor
The cause of the fistula can, among other things, be a banal poor-quality filling of the dental canals. When the filling channel does not fill up completely with filling material, voids are formed in which all kinds of bacteria can collect and multiply. They serve as provocateurs of inflammation and the appearance of pus.
In the event that a child has a fistula formed on the gum, this may also be a consequence of the fact that the roots were damaged during the treatment of incisors. Parents should remember that not only root, but also milk incisors in children really need timely, and at the same time, high-quality treatment, as caries along with infections can be transmitted from healthy teeth to teeth, and from milk to root incisors.
In some examples, the gum fistula is able to form after the loss of the milk incisor immediately before the appearance of the indigenous on this site. True, this is not considered a deviation, since over time the fistula recedes on its own. But, nevertheless, it is worth contacting a doctor, in order to examine and find out the reasons for the formation.
Symptoms of pathology
In the event that a fistula appears on the gum of the baby, when examining the oral cavity, not even a specialist can see it. Education is a tubercle resembling a pimple in appearance. It is filled, as a rule, with pus or blood, and its color is appropriate.
Gingival fistulas usually have a hole in the shape of a head with a light color. In addition to external visible signs, the appearance of a fistula can be determined by the following symptoms:
- The occurrence of pain in the tooth and the area around it. In case of pressure, eating, pain intensifies.
- The gum swells and blushes against the background of the disease.
- From the mouth, if the child has a gingival fistula, it smells bad.
- The tooth near which the fistula has formed becomes mobile.
- The ailment can often be accompanied by fever in the baby.
- Pressure on the affected area is accompanied, as a rule, by the release of pus.
Probable complications
If gum fistula is found in children, it must be cured by contacting a doctor, since such an ailment can result in the following consequences:
- Pus from the limits of the oral cavity is able to enter the body. This will serve the development of the inflammatory process in the kidneys, digestive system organs.
- In the event that the pus is in the fistula channel for a long time, healthy nearby tissues begin to break down, it can penetrate the maxillary sinus, thereby provoking purulent sinusitis. It is able to get into the epidermis layer, and in this situation the cheek is affected.
- Often because of the fistula on the milk tooth, the periosteum suffers. Pus is able to penetrate into it, which will result in the development of flux, and at the same time damage to its tissues.
Parents should take into account that even if the child has a pain, the doctor should still be consulted in order to receive treatment. The fact is that acute pulsating pains usually accompany the process of maturation of the fistula along with suppuration. When the pus finds a way out, the pain is significantly weakened, and the child feels relief. But, nevertheless, this does not indicate a retreat of the disease.
How to treat a fistula on a baby tooth?
Conducting treatment through traditional techniques
First of all, the doctor must send a small patient for an x-ray. This is required in order to assess the area affected by the disease, and in addition, to establish an accurate diagnosis.
The fact is that externally gum fistulas can be similar to other formations, for example, to an unsafe cyst or a relatively harmless wen. Only after finding out the reasons, making an accurate diagnosis and determining the area of damage, the dentist will tell parents how to treat the gum fistula over the milk tooth. There are a number of techniques used to do this.
Drug and therapeutic effects
His strategy is determined by the doctor, depending on what exactly caused the occurrence of gingival fistula. As a rule, dental tactics are as follows:
- Open a tooth with canals.
- Remove dead tissue with pus.
- Disinfect the oral cavity.
- Lay the medicine by installing a temporary filling.
The dentist determines the time during which the child will walk with the medicine. As part of the next visit to the dental office, the doctor performs the following manipulations: in the event that there are no new lesions, then the doctor removes the temporary filling, removes the medicine, establishes a permanent substitute. The therapeutic treatment of the fistula that arose on the gums of a child is accompanied by a medical method.
All kinds of antiseptics are usually used to combat the ailment along with anti-inflammatory ointments, gels, antibacterial and antihistamines.
Performing surgery
As a rule, the therapeutic effect is carried out only in those cases when the formation arose near the molar. When it is milky, it is usually removed, against the background of the development of the gum fistula. Removal is required in order to avoid further spread of pus on the tissue of the oral cavity and healthy radical incisors that may be affected.
In some examples, for the treatment of fistulas on milk teeth in children, the removal of the affected gum tissue along with the purification of the fistulous canal from the presence of pus is shown. Many modern clinics use a laser for this, thanks to which the operation is painless, and anesthesia is not required at all. The therapy usually ends with rehabilitation, and at the same time additional treatment methods that help prevent the occurrence of repeated formations (treatment of the affected area with a laser or ultrasound).
In addition, the doctor gives additional recommendations for oral care, suggesting rinsing along with special treatment. In addition, dentists give recommendations that relate to the diet, which should be followed during rehabilitation.
I must say that children often encounter the formation of gingival fistula, and, having noticed this phenomenon in a baby, it is impossible to delay a visit to a doctor. Next, we consider the main recommendations from children's dentists.
Dentists Recommendations
In order not to have to treat a fistula of a milk tooth, dentists advise the following:
- Pay special attention to hygiene procedures related to the cleaning of the oral cavity in a child.
- Time to cure all dental diseases.
- Regularly bring your baby to the doctor for an examination.
- Immediately show the child to the dentist if a purulent lump appears on his gum.
Thus, a fistula above a baby tooth is an extremely unpleasant disease, especially when it is observed in a small child. However, with timely treatment, this usually does not cause any complications and does not adversely affect children's health.
All kinds of local manifestations of diseases such as periodontitis, osteomyelitis, chronic odontogenic sinusitis and so on can become the causes of such a fistula on the gum. In this regard, in order to exclude their development, dentists advise regular visits to the doctor’s office as part of prevention.
We hope to answer the questions: if a fistula appears on a baby tooth, what to do and who to contact, you now know the answer.