Over fifty years ago, a book entitled "Death and Dentistry" identified focal infections and resultant necrosis of the jaw as the cause of a staggering number of conditions.

Today, research is showing a strong connection between the teeth, gums and jaw, and the rest of the body. As such, dentistry is becoming an integral aspect of health care.

The trauma leading to jawbone necrosis is, for the most part, a result of dental treatment. Large fillings, crowns, bridges, periodontal scaling, tooth extractions, root canals, injections, and other procedures can all reduce the blood supply to the jawbone.

This will inhibit toxins from leaving, and nutrients and oxygen from getting in the bone. Along with extractions, root canals and even high-speed drilling can cause direct damage to the jawbone.

The resultant cavitations are a dental condition that often has a far-reaching impact on health. The word "cavitation" basically means a hole. It appeared in medical literature over two centuries ago to describe a group of diseases that cause bone deterioration and loss.

In the mid-19th century, "cavitation" was used in dental text to describe a condition characterized by dead (necrotic) tissue, in the jawbone.

This necrosis of the jaw was recognized as a problem separate and independent from abscessed teeth and gums. In the early part of this century, this condition was referred to as "chronic osteitis".

A synonymous term, "ischemic osteonecrosis" (meaning "the death of bone tissue due to lack of blood supply") is a current medical expression describing a condition that can affect any bone tissue in the body.

Tooth extractions can result in a cavitation because usually the periodontal membrane that surrounds the tooth is not removed during the procedure.

Although the bone will regrow in the area left open by the extracted tooth, it often will be incomplete with holes and spongy tissue instead of solid health bone tissue. This resultant defect is the cavitation.

The hollow space of a cavitation becomes a breeding ground for various microorganisms. As long as they are contained in the local area, the condition is symptomless.

But over time, as the natural defenses that keep the microorganisms in check weaken - either through aging, disease, or stress. As a result, the microorganisms and the toxins they produce spread to other areas of the body via the lymph, blood, and nerves.

The end result can be a systemic condition causing pain, weakness, impaired nutrition, and a host of other disease conditions specific to organs and glands throughout the body.

One of the most commonly cited problems related to cavitations is a condition in which the person suffers from sometimes debilitating referred pains, often in the face or head.

Other conditions include inflammations of heart valves, muscle, and tissues surrounding the heart (the pericardium), chronic muscle and joint inflammations, nerve inflammations, and neuralgias.

These metastatic infections can also lead to ulcers, gall bladder problems, cystitis, pneumonia, bronchitis, rheumatism, asthma, nephritis, thyroid disease, herpes, iritis, poliomyelitis, multiple sclerosis, certain skin disorders, diabetes, migraines, hypertension, and more.

Cavitations are usually left undetected because they usually do not display the common symptoms of infection such as pain, redness, fever, or pus. To make matters worse, though identified in dental literature a century and a half ago, dentists are generally not educated about the condition in dental school, let alone taught how to recognize it.

As a result, most people with significant cavitations have had them for a number of years before getting treated. Consequently, by the time surgery is performed, the damage done is extensive.

Proper imaging is imperative in diagnosing and treating cavitations. Since X-rays are two-dimensional images, they are not the best diagnostic tools for discerning the state of a three-dimensional problem. Atlantic Oral Surgery Center provides the Cone Beam (or CBCT) imaging necessary for the detection of these lesions.

The treatment for a cavitation is the surgical removal of the infected and gangrenous bone. If not completely removed, the cause of the condition remains intact and the toxins will continue to circulate throughout the body.

When performed on a recent extraction site, the surgery is relatively uncomplicated. But at old extraction sites, the task is more difficult because it is not easy to image the actual cavitation site.

Without a clear picture, it is hard to determine whether the area has been completely cleaned of the infected or necrotic tissues. What is more, patients who have suffered from chronic cavitations need to detoxify and rebuild their system.

This must be done as an individualized protocol usually involving a combination of nutritional, herbal, and homeopathic remedies.

If concerned that you are suffering from the presence of cavitation(s), please contact us for a consultation.