What is granuloma annulare
Granuloma is a formation that occurs in the oral cavity due to chronic inflammation or infection. After the infection has passed through the canals of the tooth, this formation most commonly occurs around the tips of the roots. It is made up of specific cells called macrophages.
The granular formation has been pathologically modified, there is an intense growth of granulating tissue in it, and the outbreak of infection is spreading. This is a protective reaction of the body to try to prevent infection from spreading to the bone. Instead, it boils down to melting it. Granuloma can sometimes affect the gums, but these are rare cases.
Symptoms of granuloma annulare
In most cases, the detection of granulomas is unintentional, especially if the patient is not in pain. Granulomas are highly detectable on X-ray, which indicates how far the formation has progressed and how widespread the infection is.
The granuloma grows without causing any symptoms; however, swelling of the gums and cheek may occur. However, when an exacerbation of chronic inflammation occurs, unexpected and severe pain appears, constant and pulsating. Then you must visit our dentist at Kavident Dental Centre immediately to begin treatment.
The pain is not affected by medication and makes performing normal activities such as eating very painful. It is sometimes accompanied by a headache, lymph node swelling, fever, and general malaise. It is also possible for pus to form between the tooth and the gum. Then that is a true granuloma, a much more serious and difficult-to-treat condition.
Causes of granuloma annulare
Granuloma is caused by an infection that has spread to the dental canal. This can happen with poorly treated or untreated caries, contaminated dental tools, or poor cleaning of root canals when the tooth is killed.
Granulomas are most commonly found on dead teeth and crowns with no sensitivity. This further reduces the possibility of learning about the inflammatory process at its root.
The formation of granuloma can also be the result of a complication of pulpitis when the infectious process spreads from the inflamed nerve along the root. It can also be caused by periodontitis, an inflammation of the tissues surrounding the tooth caused by pathogenic microorganisms.
In rare cases, tooth breakage and poor oral hygiene can also result in an infectious outbreak.
How to treat granuloma
If detected early enough, the granuloma is completely treatable and has no serious consequences. However, if the inflammation is severe and not localized, it can lead to life-threatening conditions. Infected cells from the inflammatory outbreak in the blood reach various organs and cause serious complications like meningitis.
It is extremely crucial to detect the granuloma as soon as possible and its causative agent to treat the source of the inflammation. Additional tests may be required for this purpose, and our dentists at Kavident will determine the best diagnosis and treatment method.
If the granuloma is caused by an infection, antibiotics should be used first to suppress the inflammation. This therapy improves the patient's condition and alleviates pain, but it is not always effective in removing the formation.
When only one of the roots of the tooth is affected by the granuloma, hemisection is sometimes applied to preserve the integrity of the other teeth. If there is an accumulation of pus, an opening is made at the base of the tooth through which it is drained.
If the cause of the infection is poor cleaning of the canals, the treatment is switched to endodontic treatment, in which the roots are reopened, cleaned, and filled. In this case, the granuloma should disappear by itself after the causative agent has been removed.
Granulomas that do not respond to antibiotic treatment are surgically removed. In most cases, infection outbreaks are easy to locate and remove without causing complications.
In most cases, only the small formation is removed by an incision of the gum, and sometimes it is necessary to remove a small part of the root. In more severe cases, the entire tooth may be extracted to prevent more serious consequences.
