A review of pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment options, and differential diagnosis of odontogenic infections: a rather mundane pathology?

Odontogenic infections are common in the dental practice and their treatment should be a standard procedure for every dentist. For optimal management of septic intraoral problems, the practitioner must understand the underlying causes and etiologies of odontogenic infections. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to outline basic inflammatory processes involved in the development of odontogenic and intraoral infections including relevant pathogens, biochemical processes mediated by pro-inflammatory molecules, the basics of abscess formation, the host response, and the clinical appearance of intraoral septic processes. Furthermore, treatment modalities of odontogenic infections and associated lesions are discussed and a brief explanation of possible complications and their management is provided.