Alveolar osteitis (alveolitis, fibrinolytic alveolitis, osteomyelitis, dry alveolus, thrombus infection, etc.) is an inflammation of the open area of the alveolar bone (alveolar process of the upper or lower jaw). It is a classic complication after surgery to remove a tooth(s). It usually occurs when, after surgery, a cavity or defect remains in the gum. This leads to the fact that the acidic environment of the oral cavity begins to affect bone tissue, causing alveolar osteitis.
A fragment remains after tooth extraction: why does this happen?
A tooth is an integral organ that consists of a crown and root parts. If a root or splinter remains after tooth extraction, it means the tooth has lost its integrity. This occurs due to mechanical stress during removal. Tooth destruction during extraction occurs for a number of reasons.
- Doctor's mistake.
Lack of doctor qualifications is a fairly common cause of complications. Incorrect tooth extraction technique can lead to the destruction of even a relatively strong tooth. - Poor condition of the tooth root.
If the root of the tooth remains in the gum, this is often due to the fact that the root part was in poor condition, so when you try to remove it, the tooth literally breaks into two parts. - When removing a tooth,
the neighboring one was hit, and a fragment from it fell into the socket. This happens quite rarely, but it still happens. This situation is also a consequence of incorrect extraction technique.
Is it possible to restore bone tissue in osteoporosis?
Reduced bone density, or osteoporosis, is more common in women, especially postmenopausal and postpartum women, and in people of both sexes with hormonal imbalances. In such cases, you need to consult a therapist and endocrinologist and take prescribed medications. Restoration of bone tissue in osteoporosis is complicated by systemic reasons for its decrease throughout the human skeleton. However, modern technologies and materials used to restore bone during implantation make it possible to successfully implant new artificial teeth, saving patients from wearing removable dentures.
Symptoms
This complication has very pronounced symptoms.
- Pain.
Many people perceive pain as a standard consequence of tooth extraction. This is partly logical, but over time the pain does not stop and only gets stronger. This is a clear sign of a complication. - Swelling and inflammatory process.
A tooth fragment injures soft tissues, causing swelling and inflammation. The longer you delay treatment, the stronger the inflammation. - A characteristic coating in the area of the hole.
Appears at a later stage, when the body tries to fight the inflammatory process. - Pus and bad breath.
A late stage complication that requires immediate intervention.
Treatment of alveolitis
When the socket becomes inflamed, the main thing is to eliminate the source of infection, prevent the development of inflammation and preserve the dentition. In order to alleviate the patient’s condition, the dentist uses the following therapy methods:
- Mechanical cleansing of the hole, washing out purulent residues with a solution of nitrofural or hydrogen peroxide.
- Anesthesia of the hole. The pain syndrome is relieved with the help of local applications with anesthetics and analgesics. To do this, the doctor applies the lotion for half an hour and then removes it to prevent the proliferation of microbes in the area. The dentist will advise the patient to repeat the procedure several times a day. Taking painkillers orally is not recommended.
- Taking antibiotics. In the presence of concomitant diseases, alveolitis is treated with antibiotics.
With the right approach, the signs of alveolitis subside 2-3 days after the start of treatment. If therapy was not started on time, residual pain may drag on for 2–3 weeks.
With the permission of the dentist, additional treatment of alveolitis with folk remedies is possible:
- Sage rinses. To prepare the solution, brew a large spoonful of dry sage in 250 ml of boiling water, leave the mixture for an hour, wrapping the container in a towel. After this, the liquid should be filtered and used for rinsing.
- Gargling with chamomile flowers. To prepare the composition, brew a large spoonful of chamomile flowers in a glass of water for 15 minutes, insulating the container with a towel. The infusion should be strained and rinsed your mouth up to 12 times a day.
- Poplar buds. To prepare, take half a glass of buds, pour into a glass container and pour in 500 ml of vodka. The product should be infused for 10 days in the dark and cool, then filtered, soaked in cotton swabs and applied to the inflamed area.
- A soda rinse solution can also be an effective addition in the treatment of alveolitis. You should take a large spoonful of powder in a glass of warm water or mix soda with water to obtain a paste-like mass, which then needs to be used to treat the hole.
- Burdock leaves. To prepare a medicinal decoction of burdock leaves, you need to pour 20 grams of raw material with 2 glasses of water, and then simmer the mixture over low heat for about 40 minutes. The resulting solution should be cooled and filtered, and then used for rinsing.
- Aspen bark. Pour 1 tablespoon of crushed aspen bark into one glass of boiling water. It is important to leave the solution in an airtight container for 3 hours, and then use 100 ml of strained warm liquid at least 3 times a day.
- Anise infusion. To prepare the infusion, pour 1 tablespoon of anise into 200 ml of boiling water, and then keep in a thermos for 50 minutes. The liquid should be filtered and used to rinse 3 times a day.
Complicating factors
The extraction procedure itself is ordinary and highly predictable, given the level of modern dentistry and the technological equipment of clinics. Nevertheless, even such manipulation has complications, especially if you take it lightly. It is worth taking into account that each clinical case is individual: if in one case tooth extraction is not very difficult, then in another the dental surgeon has to apply all his skills and use advanced technologies and equipment in treatment. It is no coincidence that the price lists of clinics include the item “Complicated tooth extraction”: you have to pay more for this service. Experts identify several factors that can lead to complications, including fragments in the socket.
- Wisdom teeth.
Because of their remoteness, default eights are quite difficult to remove. They often grow incorrectly or do not fully erupt, which increases the risk of complications during removal. - Retention.
A tooth that has not fully erupted, when only part of the crown is visible above the gum or is completely hidden in the soft tissues. - Dystopia.
The tooth erupts at the wrong degree and abuts its neighbors. - The tooth is severely damaged due to trauma.
In such a situation, when removed, it may crumble, and some of the fragments will remain in the hole.
Peptides for bone tissue restoration in dentistry
There are peptide bioregulators that specifically stimulate the regeneration of jaw bone tissue and promote bone formation. They are also called odontotropic regulatory peptides. Peptides for bone tissue restoration in dentistry are used both for treatment and for preventive purposes. First, you must definitely visit a dentist and, on his advice, choose a drug - balm, capsules or toothpaste. For example, Revidont toothpaste contains three types of peptide complexes (A-3, A-4, A-6) and superoxide dismutase. The therapeutic effect of the paste includes strengthening the structure of teeth, normalizing microcirculation in the oral cavity, restoring bone tissue and having an anti-inflammatory effect.
What to do if the tooth is not completely removed?
If a piece of a tooth or part of a root remains after removal, and the doctor did not notice it, then sooner or later the symptoms described above will appear. What to do if a tooth is pulled out and a fragment remains? First of all, there is no need to panic. A regular x-ray can detect the presence of foreign bodies, including remaining fragments. In most cases, tooth removal does not take much time and is performed using standard surgical techniques. If the case is complex, an incision of the mucosa may be required. Today there are advanced surgical treatment techniques, such as laser surgery. Thanks to this, in difficult cases it is possible to reduce the invasiveness of the intervention. Be that as it may, for a qualified dentist, coping with the complication will not pose any great difficulties. The main thing is to contact him in time.
Many people are interested in whether the tooth root can come out on its own. If after removal part of the root remains in the gum, then you definitely shouldn’t count on it. Sometimes a tooth fragment may come out on its own, but there is no need to hope for this either. Moreover, you should not try to remove a tooth fragment from the socket yourself. You will most likely hurt yourself even more. If you notice remains of a tooth in the hole, go to the doctor immediately.
How to avoid atrophy
It is much easier to avoid a problem than to look for ways to solve it later. The only way to prevent jaw atrophy is timely implantation. Under no circumstances should you walk around with an unsightly toothless smile for a long time.
If the bone begins to decrease due to periodontitis, severe thyroid disease, or hormonal imbalance, you should undergo proper treatment. At the same time, the patient needs to carefully monitor the health of his teeth and gums and unquestioningly follow all medical prescriptions.
A healthy and balanced diet is crucial in the prevention of atrophy. All people should eat fresh vegetables and fruits every day. While chewing them, the necessary load is created on the jaws, and the blood supply to the tooth roots increases.
Other situations
Sometimes after tooth extraction a phenomenon called ecostosis occurs. After tooth extraction, the edge of the gum settles, causing part of the bone to protrude to the surface. Many patients may mistake a piece of bone for a tooth fragment. Ecostosis can be easily eliminated using the usual grinding procedure, so there is practically nothing to worry about in this case. Sometimes part of the bone material may come out of the hole, which is replanted with the patient before implantation if the height and volume of the native bone is not enough. Sometimes small pieces of bone material may come out through the sutures, but this is also not considered a serious complication.
Why should jaw osteophytes be removed?
A bone growth on the gum is not dangerous until it begins to grow. Increasing in volume, the osteophyte puts pressure on the dentition and bone structures. This leads to tooth displacement, malocclusion, and jaw deformation. Large growths impede the movements of the tongue, complicate diction, and interfere with normal chewing of food. Large growths prevent prosthetics and implantation. Osteophyte of the jaw will not disappear on its own. The only effective method of treatment is surgical removal of the pathological formation.
