Vestibular Periapical Abscess — NDEB AFK MCQ

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EasyOral SurgeryVestibular Periapical AbscessNDEB AFK

What is the most common odontogenic infection that presents as a fluctuant vestibular swelling adjacent to the apex of a non-vital tooth?

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Correct answer: C — Periapical abscess (vestibular abscess)

Explanation lettering: D = shown as A · A = shown as B · E = shown as D · B = shown as E

A periapical abscess presenting as a vestibular (buccal/labial) swelling is the most common form of localised odontogenic infection. The purulent exudate from the necrotic pulp tracks through the path of least resistance — typically through the buccal cortical plate (because it is thinner than the lingual plate in most areas) — and accumulates beneath the oral mucosa as a fluctuant vestibular swelling. Treatment is drainage (through the tooth via pulpotomy/pulpectomy, or I&D through the mucosa) and definitive treatment of the source tooth (RCT or extraction).

Reference: Hupp – Contemporary Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 7th ed., 2019