English

Abstract

BACKGROUND Odontogenic infections are recognized as one of the most common diseases in the world. Organisms that cause dental infection and are a part of the oral normal flora include dental plaque bacteria, mucosal surface bacteria, and gingival bacteria. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of odontogenic infections by involving the facial and cervical spaces in patients referred to Shahid Rahnemoon Hospital from 2014 to 2018. METHODS This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The sampling method was census and 308 patients with all types of odontogenic infections associated with the involvement of the facial and cervical spaces referred to Shahid Rahnemoon Hospital from 2014 to 2018 were included in the study. Questionnaire was used for data collection. The data was entered into SPSS version 23 software and analysed using statistical tests. RESULTS The mean age of participants was 31.10 ± 14.48; the mean number of hospitalization days was 4.83 ± 2.52 days; the mean body temperature was 37.45 ± 0.54. Of the 308 patients studied, 221 (71.8 %) had no history of systemic disease. Also, 294 (5 %) had no airway involvement. The most commonly prescribed antibiotic was penicillin + metronidazole with a frequency of 54.9 %, The most common tooth that was the source of infection was mandibular tooth no. 6 with a frequency of 22.7 %, the most common type of treatment was incision + drainage + antibiotic therapy with a frequency of 44.2 %; the most common involved area was the submandibular + buccal space with a frequency of 20.1 % and the most common age range of involvement was 20 - 29 years. CONCLUSIONS In odontogenic infections, penicillin + metronidazole is the most commonly used antibiotic and buccal + submandibular space is the most common area involved. KEY WORDS Odontogenic Infection, Facial Spaces, Cervical Spaces