It is probably no secret that not only children, but also some adults are afraid of dentists. Therefore, for many, deciding on tooth extraction is a rather complicated decision. And it’s good if the process goes smoothly, and after 7-10 days the wound will heal. But if the hole in the jaw continues to hurt and becomes inflamed, it is an alveolitis. In this case, treatment should be started immediately, after consulting with the dentist.
What is an ailment?
In dentistry, the alveolitis is called the inflammatory process of the jaw hole after surgical extraction of the tooth. Pathogens constantly enter the open wound with food, which, with weakened immunity or non-compliance with basic hygiene rules, increase their colonies in a comfortable environment. As a result, we have an inflammatory process with a fairly strong pain syndrome.
Treatment of alveolitis after tooth extraction is required by three percent of patients, this statistic increases to 20% when it comes to tearing out a wisdom tooth.
The causes of the disease
Even the most experienced dentist cannot guarantee a quick healing process of the gums after tooth extraction. This is explained by the fact that the disease can develop not only if the advice of a specialist is ignored, but also become a consequence of many other reasons. The most common ones are:
- weakened immune system of the patient;
- a complicated operation involving the removal of not only the tooth, but also parts of the bone tissue;
- getting at the time of operation of various fragments of the tooth to the bottom of the hole;
- poor quality postoperative wound treatment;
- ignoring the rules of antiseptics in the process of surgical intervention;
- poor blood coagulability, which prevents the formation of a clot;
- non-compliance with the doctor’s recommendations for wound care by the patient himself.
In order not to need treatment for alveolitis after tooth extraction, you should be responsible for your own health and clearly follow the doctor’s advice. This will reduce the risk of developing the disease and will contribute to the rapid healing process of the wound.
Clinical picture
The inflammatory process, as a rule, begins quickly. However, even with the first symptoms, such as hyperemia and mild pain, it is better to consult a dentist. After examination, the specialist will tell you whether the alveolitis is exactly developing. The doctor will prescribe treatment in any case to relieve pain and accelerate the healing of the jaw hole.
Ignoring the primary symptoms of the disease leads to the fact that the very next day the inflammatory process goes beyond the wound. In this case, the patient experiences severe pain in the area where until recently there was a tooth, and around it. In addition to hyperemia and edema, a grayish coating with a specific unpleasant odor appears on the inflamed part of the gum. The independent use of drugs, when the disease is in such an acute phase, can be not only useless, but also extremely dangerous.
The advanced stage of alveolitis is characterized by purulent discharge from the wound, a sharp halitosis and severe pain. Often such an inflammatory process is accompanied by a high body temperature, an increase in the submandibular lymph nodes and general malaise.
A visit to the dentist with the primary symptoms of the disease will prevent the further development of the inflammatory process, as well as avoid dangerous consequences.
Types of ailment: serous alveolitis
The clinical manifestations of the disease largely depend not only on its stage, but also on the species. In dentistry, the disease is divided into three main types. The first is serous alveolitis, the treatment of which will take no more than 3-5 days. The disease is characterized by a continuous weak pain syndrome, which is aggravated by drinking and eating. At the same time, patients do not notice a deterioration in well-being, an increase in lymph nodes and hyperthermia. The absence of therapy after a week leads to the development of a purulent process in the jaw hole.
Purulent form of the disease
The second type of ailment is purulent alveolitis of the tooth. Treatment at home with alternative methods in this case can lead to a wide spread of infection. This type of disease is characterized by severe pain in the wound area and around it. On palpation, the pain intensifies and can radiate to the temporal zone or ear.
When examining the inflamed area, acute hyperemia and swelling of the tissues, gray plaque on the jawhole and adjacent areas, as well as a sharp putrid breath from the mouth are noted. In this case, the patient complains of general malaise, fever, swollen and tender lymph nodes in the neck and under the jaw.
Hypertrophic alveolitis
This form of the disease develops when the purulent process becomes chronic. At the same time, many patients note a decrease in pain, better health and the disappearance of other common symptoms of the inflammatory process. The disease does not already cause much discomfort, so patients believe that he retreated. However, such an opinion has nothing to do with the truth. The inflammatory process, moving from an acute stage to a chronic one, continues to destroy healthy tissues.
Hypertrophic alveolitis is characterized by a wide area of spread of soft tissue infection. Upon examination, the outflow of purulent fluid from the wound, as well as hyperemia, swelling and even cyanosis of the zones adjacent to the well, are recorded. On palpation, the presence of hollow spaces and areas of dead gum tissue is revealed.
The disease is most severe in patients with diabetes. This is explained by the fact that two diseases significantly exacerbate each other.
Alveolitis of the lungs
In addition to the alveolitis of the tooth, there is the same disease of the lungs. This disease involves the development of the inflammatory process in the alveoli of the lungs, the etiology is different. Modern medicine classifies the disease into three main types: allergic, toxic and idiopathic. And if the reasons for the first two are interaction with the allergen and intoxication, then why the latter arises, scientists have not yet figured out.
Treatment of lung alveolitis is carried out under the strict supervision of a doctor at home, in-patient therapy is indicated only for severe forms of the disease.
What is dangerous dental alveolitis?
The rate of development of the inflammatory process in the jawhole largely depends on the state of immunity. And if the protective system of the body is weakened, then after a couple of hours after the onset of the first symptomatology, the ailment can go into the acute phase. Lack of timely treatment and neglect of clinical manifestations over a long period can be very dangerous. Indeed, the consequence of such carelessness can be the penetration of infection into the deep layers of soft and bone tissues. As a result, periostitis, phlegmon, abscess, osteomyelitis and even blood poisoning develop.
Treatment of the disease at an early stage
If the doctor diagnosed alveolitis after tooth treatment, then he will definitely determine the cause of the disease. For this, the patient must undergo a radiography. Based on the received image, the specialist will be able to determine the presence of foreign bodies in the hole and proceed to their removal.
Initially, the patient is given an injection of lidocaine or another painkiller. When the anesthetic medicine begins to act, the doctor will treat the well with an antiseptic solution. For this, such medicines as Furacilin or Chlororgsikedin are most often used. Then the dentist will use the tools to remove the foreign body and re-treat the wound.
An antiseptic dressing is applied to the well dried with a gauze swab, and the patient is prescribed a systemic administration of painkillers. In some cases, if the patient has alveolitis, treatment may include a course of antibacterial therapy. However, only a physician should make a decision on this matter.
Treatment of advanced forms of alveolitis
If purulent or hypertrophic alveolitis is diagnosed, the doctor will begin treatment with the relief of pain. To do this, anesthetic blockade is made to the patient, the pus is cleaned of the hole and foreign bodies are removed. Then, a tampon with antibacterial drugs is introduced into the wound, which is changed every 24 hours. Such an alveolitis suggests after treatment a tooth is removed at home, however a daily visit to the dentist is mandatory.
With soft tissue necrosis, doctors use antithiolytic enzymes to stop the inflammatory process, as well as remove dead tissue. After the acute stage of the disease has passed, the treatment is supplemented with physiotherapeutic procedures that contribute to the improvement of tissue regeneration. In this case, the patient may be prescribed microwave therapy, an infrared laser or ultraviolet radiation.
After treatment of alveolitis, doctors recommend taking fortifying vitamin complexes to restore the body.