Cystectomy

What is a jaw cyst?

A cyst is a cavity inside the bone, lined by a thin layer of tissue and containing fluid or semi-solid material. In the mouth, the most common ones form at the tip of the root of a tooth with a long-standing infection, or around a tooth that has not come through.

They almost never hurt at first. They are usually found by chance on an X-ray taken at a check-up, or once they have grown enough to cause a swelling, move a tooth or become infected.

Why they are removed

• They grow slowly but do not usually disappear on their own, and as they grow they wear away the bone around them.
• They can displace teeth, affect their roots or become infected.
• Only examination of the removed tissue in the histopathology laboratory confirms what type of lesion it was.

How it is assessed

A panoramic X-ray makes it possible to see the cyst and measure its size. To find out exactly how far it extends and how it relates to the teeth, the nerve or the maxillary sinus, a 3D dental scan is used.

What the procedure involves

In most cases it is done at the clinic, under local anaesthetic. The bone is reached through the gum, the whole cyst is removed together with its capsule and the area is closed with stitches. The tooth that caused it is often treated at the same time, either with an apicectomy or by extracting it if it cannot be saved.

When the cyst is very large, treatment in two stages is sometimes considered in order to protect the surrounding structures. The surgeon decides this with the test results in front of them.

Afterwards

Recovery is similar to that after an extraction: some swelling in the first few days, cold compresses, a soft diet and the prescribed medication. The bone gradually fills in over the following months, which is why follow-up X-rays are taken to check that it is healing well.

If you think this applies to you, book an appointment and we will assess it at the clinic.