Food Compaction Injuries
Figure 1: An open contact between two adjacent teeth caused by an undersized filling. The space between the two black arrows was created by a failure to close the contact when one (or both) of the involved teeth was restored. Chronic food compaction into the site produced inflammation and tenderness, and ultimately led to erosion of the bone (white arrow).
Injuries to the gums and underlying bone may occur from long-term food compaction between two teeth. At a minimum, these can be very tender, and decidedly inconvenient as the patient is continually having to remove food. Left untreated, permanent damage to the periodontal structures (gums and bone) may result.
Food compaction injuries are often caused by broken fillings or tooth decay that involves the contact area between two adjacent teeth. They may also be caused by tooth restorations (fillings, crowns, etc.) which do not close the space between two teeth, and leave the contact open to food collection (Figure 1). If a patient has periodontal disease, and has deep pockets where the teeth emerge through the gums, food compaction injuries can also occur.
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