Many adults know about the existence of a disease such as a cyst, but not all parents know that a cyst can appear on a child's gum. Its danger lies in the asymptomatic course of the disease at first and the high risk of suppuration. That is why it is important to know how to identify a cyst on the gum in time and what to do if it is detected.
Reasons for the appearance
A cyst inside the gum can appear due to:
- Caries, which turned into pulpitis and was not cured in time. If you ignore the presence of the disease, bacteria penetrate into the deep tissues of the tooth and form a cyst filled with pus in the root area.
- Poor filling of the root canals. In a situation where the dentist has not completely closed the canals with filling material, a reservoir with bacteria remains there, which is the cause of the formation of cysts and purulent inflammation.
- Perforation of the tooth during treatment. If the doctor accidentally damaged the canal wall, a cyst appears in this place, which can fester.
- Periodontitis. With this disease, the appearance of inflamed periodontal pockets is observed, and if it is impossible to remove pus from them, a cyst forms on the gums.
Symptoms
At the beginning of the development of a cyst, as a rule, the child will not have any signs of this process. Sometimes there is a slight swelling of the gums above the tooth, but there is no pain and the child does not pay attention to the swollen area of attention, so for parents such manifestations go unnoticed. That is why in the early stages a cyst can only be detected during an examination by a dentist.
Over time, when the cyst grows and purulent inflammation develops inside, the child begins to feel discomfort and pain during chewing. Headaches, a slight increase in temperature and general weakness are also possible. Sometimes the cyst enlarges so much that the child's jaw swells and the face looks asymmetrical.
Features in children
In childhood, a cyst is not always a pus-filled formation, and sometimes it can appear in infants before teething, as well as in older children before the appearance of permanent teeth. It is represented by a bump, inside of which there is a clear or bluish liquid. For its white color, this formation is often called "pearl cyst".
Such a cyst is a temporary phenomenon, it usually does not become inflamed, and when pressed, it does not hurt. In most cases, no treatment for such a cyst is required. If the formation causes discomfort in the crumbs, the dentist opens the cyst and releases the fluid contained in it, which also facilitates the eruption of the tooth.
Possible consequences
If you do not respond to the appearance of a cyst in a child on time, the following situations are possible:
- Pus from the cyst will burst through the gum to form a fistula.
- The infection will spread to the lymph nodes in the jaw and cause inflammation.
- Pus can get trapped in the tonsils and cause chronic tonsillitis.
- The toxins from the formation will enter the child's bloodstream and cause allergies.
Treatment
The doctor's tactics for a cyst in the gum is determined by the question - with milk teeth there is such a problem or with permanent ones.
- If the tooth is temporary and its root is affected by purulent inflammation, such a milk tooth must be removed. Such surgical treatment is required to prevent infection of the permanent tooth buds.
- If a cyst occurs at the root of a permanent tooth, its treatment is carried out as in adults. Sometimes the doctor performs a hemisection, removing the cyst itself and part of the tooth with the entire root, after which a crown is installed. In some cases, it is sufficient to perform a cystectomy, during which only part of the root is removed with the cyst. With a very large cyst and a very advanced disease, the tooth is removed, but in most cases they try to keep the permanent tooth.
Folk remedies can be used in the treatment of cysts only as an additional therapy after visiting the dentist.
To reduce inflammation and soreness, you can rinse your mouth with salted water, as well as infusions of sage, horsetail, calendula, chamomile, thyme and other medicinal herbs. In this case, all rinses should be warm, and hot compresses with a cyst are unacceptable.
