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Dental Inflammation, both acute and chronic is the mouth’s immune response either to injury or noxious agent. It can be due to a physical trauma, allergens, chemical agent (burn), the presence of harmful bacteria or viral agent. There are a host of changes involved with the inflammatory response, but suffice to say in the mouth we can see redness and edema, At a cellular level we can see an increase of white blood cells and a cascade of other biochemical events.

Dental Infections always include an inflammatory response, but have the added component of including a tissue invasion by and infectious agent, whether it is viral, fungal or bacterial. Inflammation is the body’s response to these invaders. The mouth’s inflammatory response is essentially protective, at least in the short term. It is a form of damage control, intended to rapidly respond to some sort of threat to our well being. However inflammation is not with out its consequences, and many studies have shown correlations between chronic inflammation in the mouth and other health problems.

In dentistry we spend a great deal of time preaching prevention. We strive for our patients developing good plaque control, achieved by good tooth brushing techniques, and flossing or some other method of cleaning interproximally. We also emphasize frequent cleanings at the dental office. All of this effort is meant to reduce the bacterial bioload that our patients have around their teeth

It is well documented that bacterial plaque, and the periodontal disease that can develop as a response, is harmful to us.

Changes observed when Inflammation is present in the mouth.

Edema, redness, inflammatory white blood cell present, tenderness, although no purulence is present, potentially infectious agent (bacterial, viral or chemical, or allergen) has been in close contact with tissue that is inflamed.

Changes observed when Infection is present in the mouth

Edema, redness, inflammatory white blood cell present, tenderness can be present In this case the Infectious agent has infiltrated body tissue (tooth, bone or soft tissue. Normally these tissues are sterile. Often purulence or pus can be present as a by product of the active infection. If the infection is in bone it can cause tenderness or can be asymptomatic. Often abscesses in the bone are diagnosed initially by observing radiographs of the teeth or jaws. ..

Commonalities In both situations if you remove the causative agent both inflammation and infections will tend to resolve. They are the body’s response to a noxious agent or stimulation. While both are protective in nature, both can lead to complications that are not desirable. So it is better to avoid these protective responses completely. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

About the Author: Dr Lawrence Spindel maintains a Cosmetic and Implant Dental Practice in New York City. To view other informative articles on dentistry written by this New York Dentist please visit: http://www.lspindeldds.com

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