Diagnosis

In most cases, an x-ray gives a clearer picture of the disease situation, as is the case with inflammation of the jaw bone. In acute osteomyelitis, cloudy changes can be seen after 2-3 weeks. They are unevenly brightened and spread further.

Dead tissue can also be detected. In this case, a quick method of clarifying the disease is the skeletal scintigraphy, which reveals changes already after 48 hours. It provides information about the bone metabolism at various points of the upper jaw.

The patient is administered a radioactive substance. The higher the metabolism of the affected area, the more radiation is emitted from it, which is measured with a special camera. If the bone metabolism is elevated at one point, this indicates an inflammation. In the case of chronic osteomyelitis, the X-ray image tends to show blurred, irregularly appearing brightening, in which good bone structure can still be seen from time to time. Dead tissue appears as differently shaped pieces of bone that are slightly loosened.

Therapy

Therapy with antibiotics is the fastest way to treat acute inflammation of the jaw bone. The antibiotic therapy is initially untargeted, until an antibioogram provides more precise information about which antibiotics the pathogen is particularly sensitive to. This is then administered in high doses for about 3 weeks.

The earlier antibiotic therapy is started, the better the chances of recovery, especially in the first few days. If an abscess is present, it is opened. If carious teeth are responsible for the inflammation of the jaw bone, they should only be removed after the inflammation has healed.

In the chronic course of the disease, the dead and poorly perfused tissue is removed and also a targeted antibiotic therapy is applied. All teeth that are not worthy of preservation and represent a focus of inflammation are removed. Loosened teeth, which one would like to preserve, are stabilized in position with a splint.

The inflamed tissue is scraped out with a kind of spoon. The resulting hole in the bone is tamponaded or filled with bone replacement material to which autologous blood and antibiotics are added. If such an inflammation occurs in the upper jaw, it heals much faster than in the lower jaw, but unfortunately the bone structure there will not regenerate completely.

Three different types of inflammation of the jaw can be distinguished. There may be ostitis, an inflammation of the bone and the vessels in the bone itself. There is also the so-called osteomyelitis.

In this case the bone marrow is affected by the inflammation. The third option is the so-called periostitis. In this case, the inflammation spreads to the periosteum (the bone skin).

Antibiotic therapy is used in all forms of inflammation of the jaw. Penicillins are used in most cases. Clindamycin is the drug of choice in cases of penicillin allergy.

Both antibiotics are effective against a broad spectrum of bacteria. Probate household remedies against an inflammation of the jaw only alleviate its symptoms, i.e. they work without sufficiently treating the cause of the inflammation. Cooling from the outside of the jaw relieves pain.

After 10-15 minutes a cooling break of the same length should be taken. By rinsing the inside of the mouth with disinfectant rinses, an attempt can be made to keep the focus of infection small. Chewing on cloves is also sometimes helpful for patients.

In the case of an inflammation of the jaw, a dentist is usually consulted. The causes of an inflammation of the jaw are in most cases of dentogenic origin. This means that the cause is usually due to defects or inflammation of the tooth.

Inflammation of the bone manifests itself in an X-ray image as a whitening (an area that is darker in contrast to the surrounding tissue). In case of acute inflammation of the jaw, an antibiotic is administered for about 3 weeks to fight the inflammation. In the case of a chronic form of the disease, for example, an abscess has often developed, which often has to be removed first. This is followed by antibiotic therapy to prevent the development of further inflammation.