Diagnosis

Very experienced dentists or oral surgeons can certainly palpate a cyst manually. However, a definite diagnosis can only be made on an X-ray.The exact location of the cyst gives an indication of the type of cyst. Only when it has been removed can the exact type be determined under the microscope.

It is important that even the slightest suspicion is taken and sent to the laboratory. There it should be ensured that it is a benign cyst and not a possibly malignant tumor. If it is a radicular cyst, i.e. one that originates from an inflamed nerve canal, the sensitivity of the tooth is checked beforehand.

If the tooth is highly sensitive to the cold spray, this indicates pulpitis (inflammation of the tooth pulp). A small cyst at the tip of the root can be expected even without an X-ray. When it comes to cysts, the X-ray image is the most important instrument for the dentist.

Cysts can only be detected at an early stage through imaging. In the x-ray image, those structures through which the x-rays pass are shown in black or dark. Since cysts are hollow spaces that may be filled with fluid, they usually appear sharply defined as a dark spot within the lighter bone structure. Depending on the location, the type of cyst can be determined. Only after examination of the X-ray image and assessment of the size, a form of therapy can be chosen.

What types of jaw cysts are there?

The main distinction is between cysts that originate from the tooth itself, or not from the tooth. Non-tooth related cysts are for example nasolabial or nasopalatinal cysts. They develop in the area of the palate and the nose and consist of tissue remnants that have not completely disappeared during development. Cysts that originate from the tooth are the following:

Keratocyst: develops where the tooth should actually be formed
Eruption cyst: on broken milk teeth
Periodontal cyst: wisdom teeth breaking through the periodontal apparatus
Follicular cyst: on the crown of teeth not completely developed
Radicular cyst: at inflamed tooth root tips
Residual cyst: remaining cyst after tooth removal
Glandular odontogenic cyst: in the upper and lower jaw bone, frequently recurring
Pseudocyst: has no connective tissue membrane around it, its origin is not yet known exactly