Periodontal Abscess
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Periodontal Abscess
Definition
A localized purulent inflammation of the periodontal tissues.
It is also known as lateral periodontal abscess or parietal abscess.
(AAP Glossary 1992)
Periodontal abscesses can be acute or chronic. Acute abscesses are painful,
edematous, red, shiny, ovoid elevations of the gingival margin and/or
attached gingiva. After their purulent content is partially exuded,
they become chronic. Chronic abscesses may produce a dull pain and may at times become acute.
(Carranza & Newman, 1996)
Clinical Findings
Periodontal abscesses occur with pre-existing periodontitis. This acute
infection occurs in the walls of periodontal pockets as a result of the
invasion of bacteria into the periodntal tissues.
While abscesses usually spontaneously occur in patients with
untreated periodontitis, it is more common in periodontitis patients with a
systemic disease such as diabetes, in which there is a reduced ability to
combat infections. In some cases an abscess can even occur a few days after
dental cleaning as a result of mechanical disruption of junctional epithelium,
allowing the bacteria to gain entrance into the tissues.
Figure 1. Acute Periodontal Abscess Figure 2. Chronic Periodontal Abscess
(Photo Courtesy of Dr. Jin Y. Kim)
Microbial Findings
Periodontal abscesses are termed "mixed anaerobic infections," due
to the microbiological findings. Generally specking, the bacteria found in abscesses are of
similar composition to what is found in the periodontal pockets.
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