Focal Research, Dental Foci, Focal Infections
The course of dental focal research
What is the difference between dental foci and focal disease?
When we talk about focal diseases, it is important to clarify two concepts: foci and focal disease.
Foci are acute or chronic inflammatory processes in any area of the body that can be asymptomatic, cause symptoms locally, or affect other areas in our body.
In the latter case, we speak of focal disease, when pathogens and their decomposition products and toxins enter another part of our body (through the blood and lymphatic circulation) and cause secondary diseases there.
Foci, the source of inflammation themselves, often develop in the teeth, pharyngeal tonsils and adenoids, sinuses or paranasal sinuses, but can also be caused by inflammation of the prostate, ovaries, appendix, gallbladder, and other. Therefore, it is essential to examine all areas of the body during focal research.
Focal diseases (which are caused by the afore mentioned inflammation) can include dermatological diseases (eg. eczema), ophthalmic lesions, hair loss, asthma, diabetes mellitus (diabetes), atherosclerosis, joint disease, preterm birth, kidney disease, and in more severe cases, even the heart can be affected.
Dental foci
All inflammatory and bacterial abnormalities are also considered foci in the oral cavity. Dental foci usually develop from chronic inflammation of the tooth, and since they can cause other diseases, it’s important to have a comprehensive, complete and regular examination of the teeth. There are symptoms developed by teeth in other parts of the body that can be eliminated by treating the affected teeth.
What are the foci of dental origin?
Dental foci may include:
- tooth decay
- decaying old fillings,
- gingivitis,
- chronic periodontitis - pockets that develop an perfect environment for the bacteria that cause inflammation,
- cysts
- dead teeth
- partially broken wisdom teeth,
- and strictly spoken root canal treated teeth (even if proper root canal treatment was performed on them),
- or left, part of tooth root,
- or a tooth in the jawbone that hasn’t come out (eg a wisdom tooth)
Even children can have inflamed teeth or even dead teeth, which can be present as foci, but these are more common in adults.
It is up to the dentist to consider what intervention may be needed. Certain general medical surgeries (such as heart transplants) cannot be performed while there are foci in the body. In this case, a full laboratory examination is required in addition to dental focal research to rule out all possible focal sources prior to surgery.
Blood counts can also indicate the presence of inflammation in the body, such as an increase in haemorrhage or inflammatory mediators.
Focal research can, of course, not only be performed with a general medical indication and in the event of the onset of symptoms.
Even during routine dental procedures, it is worth performing a dental check-up once or twice a year in order to detect and treat any existing inflammation in a timely manner.
At Nádor Dental clinic - www.nadordental.hu
the price of focal dental examination is: 5,000 HUF
with a Panoramic X-ray: 11,000 HUF,
with CT (CBCT)-3D- recording: 25,000 HUF
What are the most common symptoms of focal disease?
Symptoms may include:
- pericarditis,
- chronic kidney disease
- joint pain of unknown origin
- hair loss,
- allergic symptoms
- fatigue,
- skin rash
- eczema.
What should we do to prevent dental foci?
Regular dental care and dental check-ups at least once or twice a year are strongly recommended to prevent dental foci.
A dental panoramic x-ray or 3D CT (CBCT) scan also shows the presence of a chronic inflammation that often does not cause a complaint.
Treating them is essential for our health.
The process of focal research
If someone has a focal disease, a complete examination is needed in all areas of the body, which maps out possible inflammations and foci. Comprehensive clinical and radiological examinations are performed during the dental examination.
Panoramic X-rays are required in all cases, but "small X-rays" and sometimes CBCT (so-called 3-dimensional X-rays) may be also required.
This allows a more accurate diagnosis of asymptomatic hidden inflammation.
With the help of CBCT imaging, we also get a 3D image of the jaw bones and the area of the nasal and facial cavity. CBCT can be especially helpful in cases where there is no clear symptomatic lesion, yet we want to investigate all areas thoroughly.
Thus, dental focal research is a thorough examination covering all areas of the oral cavity.
Regular dental screening can prevent the development of dental foci and related focal diseases.
