An epidemiologic and anatomic survey of odontogenic infections.

An 81-month review of patients with infections of odontogenic origin admitted to the oral and maxillofacial surgery service at a county hospital and teaching facility in northeast Ohio is presented. Age, sex, race, etiology, pathogens isolated, admission temperature, and admission white blood cell count were identified and related to the anatomic space(s) encountered. Multispace and single-space infections occurred with equal distribution. In both the multispace and single-space infections, the submandibular and buccal spaces were most frequently involved. Males were affected with single-space infections twice as often as females. An equal distribution among sexes was found in multispace infections. The most common age range for all infections was 25 to 30 years. alpha-Hemolytic streptococci, Bacteroides melaninogenicus, and beta-hemolytic streptococci were the most frequently isolated pathogens. Third molars were the prevalent cause in both multispace and single-space infections that required hospital admission.