Contents:
- Medical Video: Dental Abscess
- How can oral fistula occur?
- Symptoms of oral fistula
- Further impact of oral fistula
- Who is at risk for oral fistula?
- How to handle oral fistulas
- How to prevent oral fistulas
Medical Video: Dental Abscess
Cavities are one of the most common oral health problems. Many consider the problem of cavities is complete when the pain caused has subsided. However, damage due to cavities can continue to occur due to infection, giving rise to a cavity around the teeth into the gums, known as fistula.
How can oral fistula occur?
In medical terms, a fistula is defined as the presence of an abnormal cavity or duct caused by the presence of an inflammatory organ. In the case of cavities, bacterial infections and food scraps that enter the cavities can trigger inflammation around the tooth roots (pulpitis) and gums, causing fistulas. Cavities that contain germs are a source of infection and this causes fistula sufferers to experience pus buildup, aka an abscess in the mouth.
Infection can also spread quickly because it is located close to a blood vessel. Most infections spread and cause fistulas on the inside of the mouth that are characterized by clots like pus-filled boils around the teeth. If not treated, the fistula can spread and cause bone infection (chronic osteomyelitis) around the face, infection of the inside of the facial skin (cellulitis), and the appearance of abscesses on the face.
Symptoms of oral fistula
The development of abscesses due to these cavities usually runs slowly and often does not cause any symptoms. Abscesses and pain are signs that the infection in the root of the tooth has gotten worse. The following are some of the symptoms experienced by people with fistulas:
- There is a freezing of the gums in red.
- Pain in the teeth when chewing.
- Pus discharge from the gum surface and followed by reduced pain in the teeth.
Further impact of oral fistula
The spread of bacterial infections due to oral fistulas is the cause of various health problems that spread through blood vessels, including:
- Brain abscess - the location of the infection between the gums and the brain causes the germs to move easily to the brain. Brain abscess due to infection in the bloodstream can cause coma.
- Ludwig’s angina - more serious conditions than cellulitis due to fistula. Abscesses due to fistulas in the lower mouth that are not resolved trigger swelling that can suppress the airways (larynx) which causes shortness of breath and can lead to death.
- Sinus infection - is a form of infection in the part of the facial sinuses. This can easily occur if the infection occurs in the upper teeth adjacent to the sinus, as a result the sinus cavity can contain pus originating from the teeth.
- Bacterial endocarditis - is an infection of the heart ventricular wall due to bacterial infection. Germs in cavities and abscesses can be carried by blood flow through the blood vessels to the heart and cause death.
Who is at risk for oral fistula?
Oral fistula can occur to anyone, but the main cause of the development of tooth decay is a person's poor oral hygiene. The amount of yellow plaque on the teeth is the main cause of cavities and gum damage or what is known as periodontitis. This condition causes tooth infection and results in oral fistula.
How to handle oral fistulas
Here are some things that need to be done to deal with oral fistulas:
- Pull out infected teeth - because of the worsening of the fistula due to the presence of germs in the cavities that have been infected and cause abscesses. Infection not only affects the appearance of a fistula but also damages the teeth so that the teeth become brittle and shattered. In general, the symptoms of a fistula will soon disappear and the healing process runs quickly after the extraction of the tooth which is the source of infection.
- Suck pus - When the abscess has spread, this is needed in addition to tooth extraction to clean the cavity in the teeth and gums that are exposed to pus and prevent the infection from continuing.
- Take antibiotics - This is needed to prevent the infection from continuing, but this is not a treatment that addresses the problem of cavities because antibiotics can only reduce the effects of infection and prevent temporary abscesses.
How to prevent oral fistulas
The best prevention of oral fistula is to prevent cavities and maintain oral health. Avoid the buildup of plaque from food scraps by brushing your teeth regularly. Routine examination and cleaning of tartar is also needed to treat tooth decay as early as possible. In addition, the consumption of balanced nutrition is needed to fulfill calcium and vitamin D intake and reduce high sugar intake and too acidic to prevent tooth decay.
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