A Large Palatal Swelling – Not Just a Dental Abscess

Intraoral swellings are a clinical presentation of a wide range of pathology, and clinicians should use a diagnostic sieve to rule out possible causes (Figure 1). Often intra-oral swellings can be associated with a non-vital tooth, which can cause a periapical abscess, whereby bacteria and their associated toxins spread through the apical foramen of a tooth and cause abscess formation [1]. Chronic infection in the apical tissues can initiate the development of an inflammatory cyst.