Monday, September 12, 2011

Breed Predisposition to Oral Disease: The Boxer Part 3


Dentigerous cysts:
  • What are dentigerous cysts?
    • A closed sac of serous fluid surrounding an impacted or partially erupted tooth.
  • What causes dentigerous cysts?
    • When a tooth does not erupt normally, the pressure it puts on the dental follicle causesaccumulation of fluid between the enamel epithelium and the crown.
  • Can cysts appear impacted for other reasons?
    • Cysts can originate from developing teeth that are erupting normally
    • Cysts can form at the root of a tooth that has been injured by trauma or cavities
    • Cysts can be oral masses that are neoplastic in origin e.g. calcifying odontogenic cyst
  • What effect do dentigerous cysts have?
    • Due to the tendency for dentigerous cysts to expand rapidly, they may cause pathological fractures of jaw bones.
  • How is it diagnosed?
    • Step 1: count the teeth; unerupted teeth can be diagnosed around 7 months of age; look for soft fluid swellings of the gums where a tooth should be present
    • Step 2: take dental radiographs
    • Step 3: histopathology should be performed if a tooth is not found within the cyst
  • How is it treated or prevented?
    • Extract impacted tooth before a cyst forms
    • Completely remove the soft tissue lining of a cyst
    • Extract neighboring teeth that have suffered severe bone loss
    • Bone grafting may be indicated in patients at risk for jaw fractures
Dentigerous cyst and impacted premolar

COMING SOON: Gingival Hyperplasia    


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