Dental Cyst

Oral hygiene is an essential part of the cleaning and maintenance routine of the human body. However, despite our best efforts to maintain oral health, cysts or abscesses may still develop. If left without treatment, dental cysts can cause significant damage to surrounding structures, including the gums, jawbone, and tooth roots. This blog details various types of dental cysts and their management to help patients to seek timely care and treatment.

What is a Dental Cyst?

A cyst is an abnormal sac or cavity filled with fluid that is formed somewhere in the body. A dental cyst is usually present on the gums, jawbone, or around the roots of the teeth. There are many reasons for the formation of dental cysts such as abnormal development of a tooth, infection, trauma, etc.

Are Dental Cysts Dangerous?

If dental cyst symptoms are left without treatment for a long time, it results in complications such as infection, swelling, severe pain, and structural damage to the gums, jaw bone, or the surrounding teeth.

Dental Cyst Complications

Common complications of dental cysts include:

• Dental Infections: Untreated dental cysts on the gums or other parts of oral anatomy lead to infections, abscess formation, swelling and pain.

• Facial Swelling/Asymmetry: Dental cysts may increase in size and lead to swelling and asymmetry of the whole face.

• Damage to the Teeth: Dental cysts exert pressure on the surrounding teeth causing structural damage and erosion of the tooth root.

• Loss of Teeth: If the pressure from a dental cyst is not relieved in a timely manner, it leads to irreparable damage to the roots of the surrounding teeth, resulting in permanent tooth loss.

• Damage to the Jaw Bone: Pressure and erosion from dental cysts causes damage to the jaw bone as well resulting in damage and weakening.

• Difficulty in Eating/Speaking: Asymmetry and damage from an expanding dental cyst makes it difficult to eat, chew, or speak effectively.

• Recurrence: Some types of dental cysts recur even after being surgically removed, such as odontogenic keratocystic dental cysts.

Symptoms of dental cysts are completely treatable. Even if a cyst causes no immediate discomfort, it should not be ignored, as complications can develop over time. Fortunately, a variety of affordable treatment options for dental cysts in Turkey are easily available. As a renowned medical tourism destination, dental cysts interventions in Turkey are affordable, versatile, and accessible to all.

Dental Cyst on Gum

A dental cyst on the gum is usually due to infection, trauma, dead or decaying teeth, dental procedures or the blockage of a salivary gland. Patients with gum dental cysts often present with symptoms such as halitosis (bad breath), gum abscess, gingival swelling, discharge, pain or discomfort.

A dental cyst on the gum is either painless or presents with pain and tenderness. For painless cysts, dentists often adopt a "wait and see" approach, coupled with strict oral hygiene recommendations. However, painful cysts with associated symptoms require a dental assessment. For people dealing with gum dental cysts many reputable hospitals or dental clinics in Turkey offer cost-effective treatment options of international standard.

Dental Cyst Symptoms

Common dental cyst symptoms are as follows:

• Pain, discomfort, or tenderness

• Swelling

• Discharge (pus or clear fluid)

• Abscess formation

• Erosion of the adjacent structures

• Pressure

• Instability of the tooth

• Dental fistula formation

• Bite asymmetry

• Features in adjacent teeth

• Gingival bleeding

Dental Cyst Types

Patients seeking treatment for dental cysts present with one of the following types:

• Periapical Dental Cyst: This type of dental cyst is formed because of dead or necrotic pulp tissue inside a tooth. If a periapical dental cyst doesn’t resolve with conservative treatment, then as a last resort the affected tooth may need to be extracted. The area is cleaned and the tooth is replaced with an artificial restoration.

• Dentigerous Dental Cyst: Dentigerous cysts occur due to impacted or unerupted teeth. Common sites for this type of dental cysts are the wisdom teeth, upper canines, etc. The only way to treat a dentigerous cyst is to remove the impacted tooth.

• Odontogenic Keratocystic Cyst: Odontogenic keratocysts occur in the jaw bone or mandible. The exact cause for these dental cysts is not known. Odontogenic cysts are surgically excised, however, they have a tendency to recur.

• Lateral Periodontal Cyst: A lateral periodontal dental cyst occurs on the side of the tooth root, as the name suggests. These cysts are treated through surgical excision.

• Dental Lamina Cysts: Dental lamina cysts are the remnants of dental lamina from fetal development and appear in the newborn babies. They are also called “gingival cysts of the newborn” and are usually present on the roof of the mouth or on the gums. The appearance of these cysts causes many parents to seek dental cyst treatment in Turkey. However, these cysts are symptom-free and cause no complications. It may take a few weeks to months but dental lamina cysts resolve on their own.

Dental Cyst Treatment

Dental cyst treatment varies based on the cyst’s type, location, presence or absence of symptoms, size, and potential complications. The end goal of treatment is to preserve the integrity of adjacent structures, treat any infection, and prevent side effects. Possible treatment plans for dental cysts in Turkey include:

• Monitoring of small and symptom-free cysts

• Root canal of an infected tooth (may lead to spontaneous resolution of the cyst)

• Surgical cyst removal

• Cyst marsupialization for larger dental cysts

• Tooth extraction (if required)

• Bone grafts (for very severe cases)

If you are suffering from dental cysts, keep in mind that early treatment is the best way to avoid dental damage and complications. 

As a well-known medical tourism destination effective dental cyst treatments in Istanbul are available all year round for both local and international patients. Patients can avail the best treatment for all types of dental cysts in Turkey at the Medical Park Hospitals.

Medical Park Healthcare group has over 27 hospitals across the country that provide unmatched medical, dental, and surgical care services to thousands of patients every year. Medical Park Hospitals are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and boast an impressive 5300-bed capacity. International certifications like JCI and approximately 210 Sterile operating rooms ensure that the highest standard of care is provided to every patient. For more information on surgical solutions to regain dental health available for international patients in Turkey, we recommend you to read our guide on Dental Surgery in Turkey.