Osteomyelitis for Jaw Treatment

Osteomyelitis occurs when a bone becomes infected. Though osteomyelitis most often occurs in the bones of the limbs, spine and pelvis, it can also affect the jaw. Osteomyelitis in the jaw is a rare condition that once had been thought incurable, however advances in medicine make the condition treatable. It can present itself in either acute or chronic forms. Osteomyelitis is a serious condition and if proper treatment is not sought, it can destroy your bones.

Symptoms

• The symptoms for people with osteomyelitis in the jaw include pain and tenderness, swelling around the jaw, drainage in the sinus cavity, loss of teeth, discharging of pus and necrotic bones. Factors that can lead to osteomyelitis include tobacco, anemia, viral infections and malnutrition. Since the condition exhibits symptoms that are common in many other diseases, osteomyelitis can be difficult to diagnose at first. If you have chronic osteomyelitis, debilitating fatigue is also very common symptom.

Diagnosis

• If your doctor suspects osteomyelitis, he will order various tests before he can make a firm diagnosis. Though a blood test does not define an osteomyelitis diagnosis, a high level of white blood cells will indicate that body is fighting off an infection. If your osteomyelitis is advanced, an X-ray will show the extent of the damage. If you need a better image, your doctor may recommend a CT scan or MRI. Your doctor may also remove a piece of your bone for a biopsy. This biopsy will check for the strain of bacteria that has infected your bone.

Treatment

• Most often infections of the jaw are polymicrobial oral flora so a regimen of antibiotics are used to treat the infection. You doctor may prescribe penicillin, clindamycin and metronidazole. Depending on the extent of the infection, surgery may be required. Your doctor will decide which procedure is best based on the damage caused by the infection. Some bone and tissue may need to be removed, fractures repaired and rotten teeth extracted. You may also want to consult with an oral-maxillofacial surgeon to see if facial reconstruction is required.