Alveolitis: causes, types and treatment
Dental alveolitis or alveolar osteitis is a rare but very painful condition that usually occurs as a postoperative complication after tooth extraction.
To help you understand the origin of the disease, the dental alveolus is the hollow in the bone where the tooth is inserted.
What you should know about alveolitis
- What is alveolitis.
- Causes of alveolitis.
- Types of alveolitis and symptoms.
- Prevention of alveolitis.
- Treatment of alveolitis.
- Treatment of alveolitis at Clinicas Udemax.
What is alveolitis
Alveolitis occurs in only 4% of the extractions performed, rising to 25% in the case of third molars. Although it occurs infrequently, it is a very common disease due to its intense pain.
After tooth extraction, a blood clot forms in the socket which acts as protection for the underlying bone and nerves while the wound heals. If this clot fails to form, falls out or breaks, the bone and nerves are exposed to food debris and bacteria in the oral cavity, which can lead to infection.
Inflammation in response to this situation is the cause of the intense pain that accompanies the disease, which is most likely to appear in the first five days after extraction and last for ten to fifteen days.
Clot after tooth extraction
Causes of alveolitis
Although alveolitis can occur unpredictably, certain habits increase the risk of alveolitis. Smoking, consumption of corticosteroids and oral contraceptives, due to their high oestrogen content, are risk factors for this condition.
Another of the most frequent causes is due to complications in the extraction of a tooth, especially if good oral hygiene is not maintained.
Alveolitis occurs more frequently if the tooth is a wisdom tooth or if the tooth has an infection prior to extraction.
In both cases, there may be other symptoms such as fever and swollen glands in the jaw and neck.
Types of alveolitis and symptoms
There are two types of alveolitis, depending on whether or not there is a clot inside the alveolus.
The so-called dry alveolitis, in which the blood clot has not formed, so that the bone is visible in the alveolus, i.e. the bone is in direct contact with the air. Halitosis (bad breath) and a bad taste in the mouth are symptoms of this type of alveolitis. The pain is more violent and intense than in wet alveolitis.
Wet alveolitis, on the other hand, presents foreign bodies in the alveolar cavity, which manifest themselves in bleeding tissue. As with dry alveolitis, bad breath, unpleasant taste in the mouth and severe pain are the symptoms of wet alveolitis.
Prevention
The prevention of alveolitis should focus on
- Maintaining adequate and continuous dental hygiene prior to extraction or extraction extraction.
- Abstaining from tobacco use in the hours following extraction or extraction.
- Performing mouth rinses within 24 hours after extraction or extraction.
- Administration of antibiotics if prescribed by the dentist.
- Avoid chewing food with the damaged part and avoid drinking carbonated beverages.
- Maintain proper oral hygiene during the days following the extraction.
- Discuss with the dentist the consumption of any medication that may cause lack of blood clotting prior to the extraction.
Treatments
If, despite all these preventive actions, we suffer from alveolitis, the dentist may ask us to carry out an X-ray to rule out other types of conditions and, if the diagnosis is confirmed, the administration of antibiotics over the area or, most frequently, the application of disinfectant material to allow tissue to form to protect the bone.
Other actions that may be part of the treatment include
- Rinsing with mouthwash, which will help to remove food debris that contributes to maintaining the infection.
- Application, in the alveolar cavity, of medication in the form of gel and paste to relieve pain. Sometimes these will be used together with bandages. This will help to provide rapid relief.
- Administration of analgesics that the dentist will recommend or, if necessary, prescribe.
- Administration of anti-inflammatory medication.
- Administration of oral antibiotics.
- Oral hygiene. After the removal of the applied medication, rinsing will help to eliminate residues and promote healing. We may provide you with a syringe to spray salt water or mouthwash over the cavity until the condition disappears.
Treatment of alveolitis at Clinicas Udemax Udemax
Make an appointment at Clinicas Udemax and choose the location that best suits you: Udemax in the outpatient clinics of Policlínica Juaneda, in Arcdental or in Emardental, your clinic in the centre of Palma. For more information, call us on .
