Oral and dental conditions

Pregnancy is associated with numerous physiological and hormonal changes that affect the oral cavity. Elevated levels of estrogen and progesterone increase vascular permeability and alter the immune response, making the gingival tissues more susceptible to inflammation in the presence of dental plaque.

A dermoid cyst is a rare benign developmental cyst that arises from ectodermal tissue trapped during embryonic fusion. In the oral and maxillofacial region, dermoid cysts most commonly occur in the midline of the floor of the mouth, although they may also develop in the submental or sublingual spaces.

A ranula is a mucous extravasation cyst that arises from the sublingual salivary gland following rupture or obstruction of its ducts, allowing saliva to accumulate within the surrounding soft tissues. It is considered a specific type of mucocele occurring on the floor of the mouth.

The globulomaxillary cyst is a rare cystic lesion classically described between the roots of the maxillary lateral incisor and canine, where it appears as an inverted pear-shaped radiolucency on dental radiographs. Historically, it was considered a developmental fissural cyst arising from embryonic fusion defects between the globular and maxillary processes.

A radicular cyst, also known as an apical periodontal cyst or periapical cyst, is the most common odontogenic cyst of the jaws. It is an inflammatory cyst that develops from epithelial remnants of the periodontal ligament (epithelial rests of Malassez) following chronic inflammation associated with pulp necrosis.