Introduction
The human teeth are firmly anchored in our jaw bones, in a designated tooth socket, the alveolus. The upper jaw, the maxilla, and the lower jaw, the mandible, together form a functional unit. Untreated inflammation in the oral cavity can spread to the jaw bones and cause severe pain there, which requires quick treatment.
Type of inflammation
Periostitis, osteomyelitits, ostitis… many confusing terms, all of which refer to an inflammation in the jawbone, but when viewed in a more differentiated manner, they mean different inflamed areas. Ostitis is an inflammation of the small channels, the Havers and Volkmann channels, which occurs together with periostitis or osteomyelitits. Periostitis describes an inflammation of the periosteum.
Osteomyelitis is an acute or chronic inflammation of the bone marrow, usually triggered by an infection, which can spread further and thus lead to ostitis and/or periostitis. It occurs more frequently in the lower jaw than in the upper jaw. The different types of inflammation often occur together, since an inflammation of one component quickly spreads to the other.
Inflammation of the periosteum is an inflammation of the connective tissue that surrounds the bone and is rich in vessels and nerves. The Latin term for this is periosteum, from which it is derived the medical term for the inflammatory form, periostitis. It is usually caused by bacteria or by mechanical factors and can be either acute or chronic.
It is possible that small parts of the bone may become detached from the outer area during the inflammatory process. However, the opposite phenomenon, new bone formation, can also be stimulated by an inflammation. An inflammation of the jaw muscles can occur due to overstraining of the masticatory muscles.
But also by classical forms of development, such as mechanical stimuli (injuries, pressure, foreign bodies), physical factors (UV light, ionizing radiation, heat, cold), chemical substances (acids, alkalis, bacterial toxins) or pathogens. Temporomandibular joint inflammation is caused by incorrect and excessive strain on the structures involved in the temporomandibular joint and the chewing process. An inflammation in the temporomandibular joint is more related to the protected structures located in a capsule and is then referred to as a so-called capsulitis.
But the chewing muscles in interaction with the surrounding tissues can also be involved. One speaks of the so-called craniomandibular dysfunction. The dentist can use various manipulations and guided movements of the lower jaw to make a diagnosis.
Physio- and splint therapy is then followed by a targeted initial therapy. Inflammation of the maxillary sinus is clinically manifested on the one hand by percussion sensitivity (sensitivity to knocking) of the superficial skin structures on both sides of the nose and the areas under the eye sockets. On the other hand, headaches and an increased feeling of pressure can be a sign of it.
The maxillary sinus, which is always filled with air when healthy, is also called the maxillary sinus. An ultrasound examination or radiological confirmation with the help of an orthopantomogram (overview image of the upper and lower jaw as well as the lower part of the frontal sinus) can be used to diagnose an inflammation of the maxillary sinus. In stubborn cases, it is possible to determine the germ count from the secretion that flows out through the throat. Pathogens are usually bacteria which, especially in smokers, enter the nasopharynx via the damaged nasal mucosa and therefore usually only allow the disease to heal completely with antibiotics.
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