What are jaw cysts?
A cyst is a cavity filled with fluid or a pulp-like substance that is separated from the surrounding tissue by a membrane of connective tissue. Cysts can be caused by inflammation and developmental disorders and can occur throughout the body. If they form on the bone or in the surrounding soft tissue of the upper or lower jaw, experts refer to them as jaw cysts. These often manifest as swelling in the mouth, which does not cause pain and is usually benign. As a rule, cysts become larger and larger over time and can displace adjacent tissue.
Frequency and age
The most common type of cyst in the jaw is the dental root cyst (also known as a radicular cyst). It is caused by inflammation and mainly occurs between the second and seventh decade of life. The second most common jaw cyst is the so-called follicular cyst. It is caused by a disorder in tooth development, especially in the second and third years of life. Men are generally more frequently affected by jaw cysts than women.
Jaw cysts: causes and risk factors
Dentists distinguish between different types of jaw cysts. Cysts that develop from the tissue of the dental system are called odontogenic cysts. They can be caused by inflammation or problems with tooth development. Experts refer to all other types of cysts as non-odontogenic. They usually develop due to impaired jaw or skull development. This can leave behind tissue remnants that may develop into cysts, for example in the middle of the palate (nasopalatal cyst) or high in the palate next to the nose (nasolabial cyst).
There are also so-called pseudocysts in the jaw area (e.g. simple or aneurysmal bone cysts). These are characterized by the fact that they do not have a capsule of connective tissue. Researchers have not yet been able to fully clarify how these pseudocysts develop. There is a familial predisposition to some types of jaw cysts (e.g. follicular cysts).
Symptoms: Jaw cysts often go unnoticed
Those affected often do not feel that they have a jaw cyst. Pain usually only occurs if the cyst is very large and presses on the surrounding tissue or a neighboring nerve. Sometimes the area also feels numb. Jaw cysts only become visible when they have reached a certain size. This can lead to swelling in the oral cavity or around the jaw, for example. Sometimes the teeth also shift. If the cyst grows larger and larger, damage to neighboring tissues can occur and lead to infections or problems with the bone (fractures, deformations).
Jaw cysts: Diagnosis with us
Many people affected by jaw cysts initially have no symptoms. This is why we usually discover them by chance, for example when we take an X-ray of the jaw for another reason. In some cases, we also use other imaging procedures such as
- Sonography (examination with ultrasound),
- scintigraphy (nuclear medicine examination to assess tissue activity) or
- Computed tomography (modern X-ray examination that provides images of the inside of the body layer by layer).
This allows, for example, the size or position of the jaw cyst to be assessed more closely. A tissue sample (biopsy) can also help with the diagnosis. However, this is not always possible. In order to determine the type of jaw cyst beyond doubt, we often have to first remove it surgically and then have it examined in the laboratory.
Jaw cysts: prevention, early detection, prognosis
Jaw cysts often only cause symptoms at a late stage. Early detection is therefore difficult. It is also not possible to prevent jaw cysts directly. In general, it makes sense to have regular check-ups with us (once or twice a year). A visit to us is particularly important if pain in the jaw or teeth occurs repeatedly or has been present for a long time.
Progression and prognosis (jaw cysts)
Jaw cysts usually grow very slowly and are normally benign. Surgical removal of the cyst is usually uncomplicated and has no long-term consequences. However, once the jaw cyst reaches a certain size, complications can occur later on – especially if no appropriate treatment is carried out. Sometimes large jaw cysts damage the jawbone. We may then have to remove parts of the bone or adjacent teeth.