Alveolitis is one of the most common complications after tooth extraction. Acute inflammation of the socket walls is observed in approximately 3% of cases of all dental operations, and after the removal of a wisdom tooth in the lower jaw, almost every fifth case is complicated by alveolitis. Alveolitis causes serious suffering in the patient. It is characterized by very severe pain, worsens the general condition of the patient, can cause secondary infectious foci in the mouth and an inflammatory process affecting bone tissue. The development of alveolitis, according to estet-portal.com, should be identified and treated as soon as possible to avoid unpleasant complications.
Causes of alveolitis after tooth extraction
Normally, the hole after tooth extraction heals within a day, the pain gradually subsides, the wound granulates. If on the third or fifth day after extraction, acute pain appears at the site of the extracted tooth, and the healing process of the hole is delayed, this indicates alveolitis.
One of the causes of alveolitis can be too intense rinsing of the mouth with disinfectant solutions.
Because of this, the blood clot covering the postoperative wound shifts or does not form at all. As a result, the wound surface is exposed and infected.
Alveolitis can be caused by:
• poor oral hygiene;
• feeding into the postoperative hole;
• untreated caries of adjacent teeth;
• the presence of any inflammation in the oral cavity.
If there are no urgent indications for tooth extraction, then before the operation it is necessary to treat caries of adjacent teeth, to sanitize the oral cavity in order to avoid the development of alveolitis.
Clinical manifestations of complications after tooth extraction
The key sign of the development of alveolitis is severe throbbing pain at the site of the extracted tooth. As the infectious process develops, it intensifies and is sometimes unbearable. Usually the pain is localized in the region of the socket, but may radiate to the entire half of the face.
Other possible manifestations of alveolitis:
• temperature rises to subfebrile values;
• salivation increases;
• the sensitivity of all teeth to hot and cold food increases;
• a bitter taste appears in the mouth and there may be bad breath;
• appetite decreases due to pain;
• may enlarge regional lymph nodes;
• there is a swelling of the face from the side of the extracted tooth, if the hole was large.
Since an infectious process develops with alveolitis, the general well-being of the patient suffers. The patient complains of general weakness, increased fatigue.
Diagnosis and treatment of alveolitis after tooth extraction
Usually, the diagnosis of alveolitis is not difficult. The diagnosis is based on the presence of acute pain and prolonged healing of the postoperative socket.
Sometimes, during a preventive examination, chronic alveolitis can be detected: in the place of a long-extracted tooth there is a hole without granulation tissues, where bone is often visible.
X-rays will help confirm the diagnosis and identify tissue changes. Treatment of alveolitis should, first of all, relieve severe pain and stop the inflammatory process, prevent possible complications with damage to other teeth and bone tissues.
Therapy steps:
• local cleansing of the postoperative hole with washing out of purulent residues;
• pain relief with local and general anesthetics;
• if necessary, the use of antibacterial agents.
To relieve pain, it is preferable to use local applications with analgesics, since the use of tablet painkillers will require very large dosages and can exacerbate diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Timely treatment of alveolitis allows stopping the inflammation within a few days. However, residual pain in the socket may persist for another 2-3 weeks.
Read also: Fistula: causes, treatment and prevention
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