Can dental cysts cause inflamed lymph nodes?

[DawnUnicorn]

Hiya all,

I haven't posted here in a while but I will soon be on my way to a dentist next month when we have the money as I have lived with my fear and these problems for too long. I'm 21 and I started getting these problems probably over a year ago. I'd like to get an idea of what I may be dealing with without freaking myself out using google.

I'm terrified. Basically my two bottom wisdom teeth are completely impacted, not one bit is showing through the gum. There is a raised portion of the inside gum beneath the area between where the wisdom tooth should be and the tooth next to it. The tooth next to it is graying ever so slightly at the very back. Possibly from the wisdom tooth/cyst is pushing onto it, causing it to die? There isn't much local pain, it's just a bit tender when I press the raised bit. It used to feel hardish but it's softer now. Most of my pain is in my jaw, my jaw has been very tender, and I've had a few sinus/ear aches too. The gum around the area where my lower wizzies should be coming through is swollen and red looking, and on the side where I think there may be a cyst I get occasionally bubbles of clear fluid coming to the top of the gum's surface. (One of my upper wizzies is comlpetely impacted on the side with most problems, the other one is half out but seems to be stuck.)

What Im worried about though is that most my of my glands on that side are pretty up and have been for a long time. There are movable lumps (lymph nodes?) under my jaw on either side near the wisdom tooth area. The one on the side of the possible cyst is larger and harder, and has been for a while.

I've googled this and couldn't find much relating swollen lymph glands under the jaw to dental cysts. It mostly came up with scary things like swollen lymph nodes indicating cancer (edited to add I did actually find a website about lymph nodes that said impacted teeth can cause them to swell, I hope this is right...)

I'm really scared, as I suffer with general anxiety as it is. I can't stop worrying about the lymph nodes and glands indicating something serious. I have no fever or swollen face that might come with an absess either or any other such symptoms since I noticed the cyst like thing, just swollen glands and aching/tender jaw on the side where it is.

If it helps my body appears to be hyper sensitive, swelling at the slightest scratch etc.

I remember another member with a cyst posting about this months ago and Gordon saying they where chronically inflamed lymph nodes. The things is I thought there'd have to be an infection present to be inflamed and I have no symptoms of infection, just some badly impacted lower wizzies...and a possible cyst

 

[shimsham]

Hi, I dont if i can be of any help with assurance, about 2 years ago i changed dentists because of a house move and when he did a routine x ray for new patients with one of these new x ray machines he found a massive cyst in the bottom left sided jaw,The dentist told me it was possibly the largest he had ever seen and like you i had no symptons of it being there.
The dentist told me i would have to go to hospital for it to be removed because i would have to have a GA,I had to wait about 12 months before i could get it removed, i was like you worried , nervious,etc but the dentist assured me and the hospital that if i did not have it removed it would eventually break my jaw, but when the day came i went to day surgery at 12.00pm had op at 1.30pm back home for 6.00pm had 4 stitches in my gum.
But its nothing to worry about really, i had to go back for 3. 6monthly check ups then they discharged me.
PS DR.MIKE GOW was a great help to me with this problem. Regards

 

[DawnUnicorn]

Thank you for your reply, but im petrified of general anaesthetic lol... more so than dental work..

One thing I forgot to mention was the jaw ache I've been having, mainly on the side of the cyst/raised gum. Could it possibly be a jaw infection causing glands to swell?

 

[shimsham]

If i was you i would ask Dr Mike Gow if would give you his opinion on your problems a real nice helpful guy.Regards

 

[Gordon]

Lymph glands are designed to swell up at the first sign of infection. They act rather like filters and trap the bacteria in them.
If you have some infection around the erupting wisdom teeth then I'd be a lot more concerned if your lymph glands were NOT swollen and tender.

Cysts in the jaws are really quite rare, it's very unlikely that you have one. What you are much more likely to have is chronic pericoronitis, an inflammation of the tissues over partially erupted teeth. I've never seen a really large cyst in the jaw like Shimsham describes, except in journals and I've been qualified over 25 yrs now (EEEK!).

HTH.

 

[DawnUnicorn]

Hi Gordon,

Thank you so much for your reassurance. The thing is the swollen bit is not only on the top its on the inside around where the roots would be, it's quite prominant on the right side. Also around that area on either side there are very small bobbly bits/ridges which are worrying me...

My bottom wizzies aren't even partially erupted.. buy that I mean they haven't broken the skin at all. Is pericorinitis still a possibility considering that?

 

[DawnUnicorn]

Thanks Annie, I did see the docs about them and the antibiotics helped for a bit but it all came back. I'm pretty certain my bottom impacted wisdom teeth are inflamed or infected in some way as Gordon said because the gums around them are very tender sore and swollen and have been for about the same amount of time as my glands have been up. Not to mention the most swollen glands are on the same side as the most swollen gum/impacted tooth and the side where the fluid came up.

Unfortunately I think it's a job for a dentist not a doctor *bites nails*

I'm sure your right about the anxiety, it's certainly not helping with all those excess hormones

Gordon - my glands in my neck and between my ear and jaw feel tender too, particularly on the side where the gum is worse. Is this normal in a chronic infection? To be honest I could have had this for a year I feel stupid for leaving it and am worried about any negative effects of glands being swollen for so long.

I've also just scared myself by reading this now - "Pericoronitis that causes symptoms should be treated as soon as possible. If it is not, the infection can spread to other areas of your mouth. The most severe cases are treated in a hospital and may require intravenous antibiotics and surgery." I can't get to the dentist until next month.. How would you know it was that severe?

 

[Gordon]

It really sounds like the wizzies are causing it. There's probably some micro-connection between the teeth and your mouth, which is all you need to get the pericoronitis going.

There won't be any damage to the lymph system from the chronic infection, human beings are beautifully engineered and damned resilient!

 

[DawnUnicorn]

Gordon you are a saint. You have no idea how much you have eased my mind, both back when I first posted, and then again now. If I could hug you I would Thank you so much for your incredible patience with me and all the other worriers here..