Characterization of consultations for odontogenic abscesses in a major Chilean hospital

OBJECTIVES: To characterize consultations for odontogenic abscesses at the dental and maxillofacial unit of the public emergency hospital in Santiago, Chile. METHODOLOGY: descriptive study, involving consecutive sampling of patients with diagnosis of odontogenic abscess, conducted between august and september 2016. descriptive statistics were performed to determine the frequency of diagnosis, affected tooth, sex and need for hospitalization. RESULTS: odontogenic abscesses accounted for 6.3 percent (n=414) of a total of 6,535 consultations. males represented 59 percent; 42 percent of odontogenic abscesses presented in molars and maxillary premolars. the vestibular space was the most frequently affected anatomical space (50 percent), associated in 53 percent of the cases to submucosal abscesses. ninety-eight per cent of patients were successfully treated on an outpatient basis, 2 percent required hospitalization, mainly associated to abscesses involving the deep submandibular space. CONCLUSION: odontogenic abscesses account for a low percentage of dental emergencies at the public emergency hospital in Santiago, Chile. most cases receive outpatient treatment.

The Role of Feeding Practices as a Determinant of the pufa Index in Children with Early Childhood Caries.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence and severity of untreated dental caries among young children (aged <6 years) with early childhood caries (ECC) using the pufa index and to examine the relationship between caries and feeding practices. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study of children with ECC was undertaken in two stages: a questionnaire survey based on interviews and an intraoral examination using the defs and pufa indices. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of untreated dental caries in our sample of 238 ECC-affected children was 72.3%. The abscess component (code a) was the most common condition. There was an increase in the ECC patterns and the severity of untreated dental caries with increasing age for all teeth groups. ECC and untreated caries lesions for the various teeth groups and study sites varied inversely with current feeding status. The majority of the children had posterior ECC, and the fewest were affected by ulceration (code u) as a consequence of untreated dental caries. Except for the posterior caries pattern, all other caries patterns and pufa components (code u alone, p<0.05) had a significantly higher prevalence among children with nocturnal feeding practices (p<0.001). Binary logistic regression analyses revealed that older age (p<0.05) and nocturnal feeding practices (p<0.001) were significantly associated with pufa scores>0. CONCLUSION: These data provide valuable evidence of the effect of nocturnal feeding as an important determinant of the increased prevalence of untreated caries lesions among children with ECC.

The frequency of dental abscesses increases in periods of low barometric pressure.

Bioclimatic conditions are thought to have an impact on the frequency of dental abscesses but previous studies have suffered from small patient cohorts, methodological obstacles, and restriction to a single site resulting in limited geographic and meteorological variability. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of environmental temperature and barometric pressure on the frequency of dental abscesses. Three maxillofacial and two dental clinics in Vienna retrospectively provided a total of 19,218 patients with dentoalveolar abscesses who were treated by intraoral incision between 1998 and 2011. Daily records from six local meteorological stations were consulted to assess daily meteorological parameters. Univariate and multivariate hurdle count regression models were fitted to estimate the effect of daily average barometric pressure and temperature on registered abscess frequencies. Temporal confounders causing variance of the observed abscess frequencies - such as weekday, business day, and month - were taken into consideration. On days of low barometric pressure a significant rise in dental abscess frequency was observed, even when adjusting for confounders. Environmental temperature, in contrast, did not show any effect. In conclusion, bioclimatic conditions affect health as low barometric pressure increases the number of patients with dental abscesses.

Common dental and periodontal diseases: evaluation and management.

Physicians may encounter patients with dental and periodontal diseases in the context of outpatient medical practice. It is important for physicians to be aware of common dental and periodontal conditions and be able to assess for the presence and severity of these diseases. This article reviews common dental and periodontal conditions, their cardinal signs and symptoms, outpatient-setting assessment techniques, as well as common methods of treatment. Physicians detecting gross abnormalities on clinical examination should refer the patient to a dentist for further evaluation and management.

Clinical consequences of untreated dental caries and toothache in preschool children.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to assess the clinical consequences of untreated dental caries related to the occurrence of toothache among Brazilian preschool children. METHODS: A random sample of 540 two- to five-year-olds underwent a clinical oral examination for the assessment of early childhood caries (ECC) using the dmft (decayed, missing and filled primary teeth) index and pufa (carious lesions with pulpal involvement [p], ulceration of the mucosa due to root fragments [u], fistula [f], and abscess [a]) index to score consequences of dental caries in soft tissues. Parents/guardians were asked to answer a questionnaire addressing sociodemographic characteristics and toothache experience in the children. Descriptive analysis and hierarchically adjusted Poisson regression models were employed. RESULTS: The prevalence of ECC and pufa (≥1) was approximately 50 percent and 12 percent, respectively. A total of 25 percent of the children had toothache experience. Toothache was significantly associated with: an older age (prevalence ratio [PR]=3.70; 95% confidence interval [CI]=2.09-6.58); carious lesions with pulpal involvement (PR=3.93; 95% CI=3.09-5.01); ulceration of the mucosa due to root fragments (PR=2.73; 95% CI=1.52-4.89); fistula (PR=2.91; 95% CI=1.89-4.49); and abscess (PR=4.43; 95% CI=3.78-5.19). CONCLUSION: Toothache experience in preschool children was associated with untreated cavitated dentin lesions and their consequences.

Assessing caries status according to the CAST instrument and WHO criterion in epidemiological studies.

BACKGROUND: The Caries Assessment Spectrum and Treatment (CAST) is a new epidemiological instrument for detection and treatment of dental caries. Worldwide, the WHO criterion constitutes the epidemiological tool most commonly used for caries detection. The objective of the present study is to determine the levels of similarity and difference between the CAST instrument and WHO criterion on the basis of caries prevalence, dmf/DMF counts, examination time and reporting of results. METHODS: An epidemiological survey was carried out in Brazil among 6-11-year-old schoolchildren. Time of examinations was recorded. dmft, dmfs, DMFT and DMFS counts and dental caries prevalence were obtained according to the WHO criterion and the CAST instrument, as well the correlation coefficient between the two instruments. RESULTS: Four hundred nineteen children were examined. dmft and dmfs counts were 1.92 and 5.31 (CAST), 1.99 and 5.34 (WHO) with correlation coefficients (r) of 0.95 and 0.93, respectively. DMFT and DMFS counts were 0.20 and 0.33 (CAST), 0.19 and 0.30 (WHO), with r = 0.78 and r = 0.72, respectively. Kappa coefficient values for intra-examiner consistency were CAST = 0.91-0.92; WHO = 0.95-0.96 and those for inter-examiner consistency were CAST = 0.90-0.96; WHO = 0.94-1.00. Mean time spent on applying CAST and WHO were 66.3 and 64.7 sec, respectively p = 0.26. The prevalence of dental caries using CAST (codes 2, 5-8) and the WHO criterion for the primary dentition were 63.0% and 65.9%, respectively, and for the permanent dentition they were 12.7% and 12.8%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The CAST instrument provided similar prevalence of dental caries values and dmf/DMF counts as the WHO criterion in this age group. Time spent on examining children was identical for both caries assessment methods. Presentation of results from use of the CAST instrument, in comparison to WHO criterion, allowed a more detailed reporting of stages of dental caries, which will be useful for oral health planners.

Dentoalveolar abscess among children attending a dental clinic in Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and causes of dentoalveolar abscess among children attending an outpatient dental clinic in Nigeria. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study of paediatric dental patients treated in University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City from October 2010 to September 2011. RESULTS: The incidence of dentoalveolar abscess was 6.4% (53/824). However only 42 cases had their case notes retrieved for final research analysis. It occurred mostly in the lower right quadrant of the mouth. The affected children were majorly males and first or second child of monogamous family. A total 17 (40.5%) of the affected children were in the 6-11 years age group. This was the first dentist consultation among 35 (83.3%) of the children. The presenting complaint was toothache among two-thirds of the children. History of asthma, tonsillitis, peptic ulcer disease and previous surgery were medical history elicited from 6 (14.3) of the patients. The most implicated tooth was deciduous first molar. The causes of abscess include untreated dental caries 35 (83.3%), trauma 5 (11.9%), failed restoration 1 (2.4%) and periodontal diseases 1 (2.4%). Periapical radioluscency was predominant radiological finding among affected children. Tooth extraction was commonest treatment done. CONCLUSION: The incidence of dentoalveolar abscess among children was significant. The high frequency of untreated dental caries as the cause of dentoalveolar abscess indicates the need for school and community-based preventive strategies like encouraging infant oral health and preventive dentistry programs and early treatment intervention and dental health education.

[An index for untreated severe caries]. / Een index voor onbehandelde ernstige cariës.

Hardly any data are available on the clinical consequences of untreated severe caries, because there is no method to quantify the prevalence of oral conditions resulting from untreated caries. In the Philippines, an index was developed which records for (the location of) each tooth whether caries has reached the dental pulp, whether ulceration is present in the surrounding soft tissues due to sharp edges of fragments of a tooth lost due to caries, or whether a fistula or abscess is present. By adding the index to the existing Decayed Missing Filled Tooth index, insight is provided on the extent and the consequences of untreated caries and research may be carried out on its possible impact on the general health and wellbeing of national populations.

Clinical characteristics of dental emergencies and prevalence of dental trauma at a university hospital emergency center in Korea.

AIM: The aim of this study was to examine the clinical characteristics of dental emergency patients who visited a university hospital emergency center and to evaluate the incidence of dental trauma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review of patients with dental complaints and who visited the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (SNUBH) emergency center in Gyeonggi-do, Korea, from January 2009 to December 2009 was conducted. Information regarding age, gender, the time, day, and month of presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and follow up was collected and analyzed. RESULTS: One thousand four hundred twenty-five patients with dental problems visited the SNUBH emergency center. Dental patients accounted for 1.47% of the total 96,708 patients at the emergency center. The male-to-female ratio was 1.68:1, with a considerably larger number of male patients (62.7%). The age distribution peak was at 0-9 years (27.5%), followed by patients in their forties (14.1%). The number of patients visiting the dental emergency center peaked in May (14.2%), on Sundays (22.4%), and between 2100 and 2400 h (20.8%). The patients' chief complaints were as follows: dental trauma, dental infection, oral bleeding, and temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). The prevalence of dental trauma was 66%. CONCLUSIONS: The reasons for dental emergency visits included the following: dental trauma, dental infection, oral bleeding, and TMD, with 66% of the patients requiring management of dental trauma. It is important that dentists make a prompt, accurate diagnosis and initiate effective treatment in case of dental emergencies, especially dental trauma.

PUFA--an index of clinical consequences of untreated dental caries.

RATIONALE: Dental caries is a global public health problem, especially in children. Most caries in developing countries remains untreated. Only limited data are available on the clinical consequences of untreated dental caries because there is no measure to quantify the prevalence and severity of oral conditions resulting from untreated dental caries. OBJECTIVES: To present a new index to evaluate the prevalence and severity of oral conditions resulting from untreated dental caries. To validate the index within the Philippines National Oral Health Survey, 2006. METHODS: The PUFA index records the presence of severely decayed teeth with visible pulpal involvement (P/p), ulceration caused by dislocated tooth fragments (U/u), fistula (F/f) and abscess (A/a). RESULTS: Good kappa values show the reliability of the index. The prevalence of PUFA/pufa >0 was 85% and 56% for 6- and 12-year-olds, respectively. The mean number of teeth affected (PUFA/pufa) was 3.5 and 1.2 for 6- and 12-year-olds, respectively. In 6- and 12-year-olds, 40% and 41% of decayed teeth had progressed to odontogenic infections. CONCLUSION: The PUFA index complements classical caries indices with relevant information for epidemiologists and health care planners.

Formas agudas de periodontitis / Acute conditions of periodontal disease

La clasificación de las Enfermedades Periodontales ha cambiado en las últimas décadas. En la clasificación la AAP de 1989 la periodontitis necrotizante ocupaba el cuarto lugar. En el Workshop Europeo de 1993 la periodontitis necrotizante aparece en el grupo de los descriptores primarios. Según el Internacional Workshop for a Classification of Periodontal Diseases and Conditions 1999 en el que se revisó y se modificó la clasificación de las patologías periodontales, las enfermedades periodontales necrotizantes ocupan el punto cinco, diferenciándose entre Gingivitis Necrotizante y Periodontitis Necrotizante. Y se añade en la clasificación el grupo de abscesos periodontales. En este artículo de revisión vamos a profundizar cerca de las formas agudas de periodontitis (AU)

The Periodontal Diseases classification had changed in the last decades. In AAP classification of 1989 the necrotize was in the 4th position. In the European Workshop was in the group of primary descriptors. According to the International Workshop for a Classification of Periodontal Diseases and Conditions 1999, review and modificated the classification of periodontal pathologies, the periodontal necrotize diseases are in the 5thposition, distinguishing between Necrotize Gingivitis and Necrotize Periodontitis. And Peridontal Abscesses was add to the classification. In this paper we are going to review about the acute forms of Periodontal Diseases (AU)

Dental emergencies presenting to a university-based paediatric dentistry clinic in the West Indies.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of the present study were to investigate the type and prevalence of dental emergencies presenting at a teaching hospital paediatric emergency clinic in Trinidad, and to describe the socio-demographic factors related to the use of the service. DESIGN AND METHODS: The authors used a prospective study of consecutive dental patients presenting to a paediatric emergency clinic. Data recorded included type of presenting emergency and socio-demographic variables. RESULTS: Data were available for 309 participants; 47% were male and 53% female. The average age of the participants was 8.66 years (SD = 3.75 years; range = 1-16 years). Seventy-three per cent of the participants' parents were involved in manual work or unemployed, and 21% were in nonmanual/professional employment; the occupation was not known in 6% of cases. Caries-related problems accounted for 74% of emergencies. Dental trauma mostly affected the upper permanent incisor teeth, with concussion, subluxation and intrusion being the most common injuries. CONCLUSION: Dental emergencies presenting to this university-based clinic were predominantly related to caries and trauma. The service was more frequently utilized by children in the mixed dentition stage, children from lower socioeconomic groups and those living in the local area. The frequency of caries-related problems indicates the need for more community-based preventive strategies, including encouraging greater attendance for routine dental care and dental health education. Strategies for oral health promotion should also be developed to prevent dental trauma.

A study of orofacial bacterial infections in elderly Nigerians.

This retrospective study was designed to determine the pattern of occurrence, and principles of management of orofacial bacterial infections in elderly Nigerians. Ninety-two patients aged 55-90 years (mean +/- SD 62.4 +/- 7.5 years), were admitted into the study (male:female ratio 1.1:1). The origin of orofacial infection was predominantly odontogenic and the lower face was three times more commonly involved. The percentage of patients with underlying systemic disease was 16.2%. Patients with underlying disease had a 3.5 times greater risk of developing orofacial infections. Similarly, a significant correlation was demonstrated between both sexes of patients with orofacial infections and underlying illness (P < 0.05). There was a general delay before presenting for treatment (average 19.5 weeks) and the mortality rate was 3.3%. The study findings demonstrate that a significant relationship exists between elderly Nigerians with orofacial infections and systemic disease.

Increasing frequency of dental patients in the urban ED.

This study examined the spectrum and frequency of dental disorders presenting to an urban ED. Data were retrospectively collected on all patients presenting with dental complaints between January 1, 1987 and December 31, 1995. Data included age, date and time of presentation, diagnosis, triage acuity and disposition. Of the 3,943 charts reviewed, 1,892 (48%) patients required emergent oral surgery management and 2,051 (52%) emergency physician management only. The frequency of dental patients increased from 4.4/1,000 total ED patients in 1987 to 11.5/1,000 in 1995 (P < .05). The rate of emergent dental trauma, emergent nontraumatic dental care, and nonemergent nontraumatic dental care increased similarly during the study period. There was no significant difference by day of week, but a significantly greater number of nonemergent patients presented between 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. (72%). The incidence of dental patients presenting to the ED increased significantly between 1987 and 1995. Approximately one-half did not require specialist consultation and could potentially have been managed by a primary care dental practitioner.

The periodontal abscess: a review.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The periodontal abscess is a frequent periodontal condition in which periodontal tissues may be rapidly destroyed. Its importance is based on the possible need of urgent care, the affectation of tooth prognosis, and the possibility of infection spreading. There is scant information in the scientific literature regarding this condition and most of it has been published as case reports and text books, where conclusions are not evidence-based, but rather empirical observations made by recognised clinicians. The aim of this review was to critically analyse all available information on this subject in the dental and medical literature, including information on its prevalence, proposed etiologies and pathogenesis, diagnosis, microbiology and treatment alternatives. SUMMARY: The periodontal abscess is the 3rd most frequent dental emergency, and it is specially prevalent among untreated periodontal patients and periodontal patients during maintenance. Different etiologies have been proposed, and 2 main groups can be distinguished, depending on its relation with periodontal pockets. In the case of a periodontitis-related abscess, the condition may appear as an exacerbation of a non-treated periodontitis or during the course of periodontal therapy. In non-periodontitis related abscesses, impaction of foreign objects, and radicular abnormalities are the 2 main causes. The abscess microflora seems to be similar to that of adult periodontitis, and it is dominated by gram-negative anaerobic rods, including well-known periodontal pathogens. Complications and consequences include tooth loss and the spread of the infection to other body sites. Diagnosis and treatment is mainly based on empiricism, since evidence-based data are not available. The role of systemic antibiotics, in the treatment of periodontal abscesses, is especially controversial.

[Studies on the continuous culture and pathogenicity of Entamoeba gingivalis].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a method for continuous culture of Entamoeba gingivalis (E. g.) and study the pathogenicity of E. g.. METHODS: The culture conditions of E. g. were compared by observing its growth and reproduction. The pathogenicity of E. g. was studied by investigating its infection rate in humans and observing the relationship between E. g. infection and periodontal abscess in rats and the in vitro effect of some drugs. RESULTS: The optimal culture condition of E. g. was modified LES medium containing Locke's solution with 20% bovine serum, penicillin, streptomycin and rice starch. Reproduction of E. g. peaked at the fourth day of incubatoin, E. g. could live continuously for 120 to 168 h. The infection rate of E. g. was higher in patients with periondontal diseases than in healthy groups. The animal test showed that E. g. could cause periondontal abscess in rats. The levels of acid phosphatase and MDA were higher in patients with E. g.-positive periondontal disease than in healthy individuals. Metronidazole and SBF are effective against E. g.. CONCLUSION: E. g. could grow very well in modified LES medium, and cause periondontal abscess in patients with low immunity.

[Correlation of odontogenic soft tissue infection and thermal effects with special reference to temperature sense. Statistical analysis of 2,111 patients]. / Zusammenhänge von odontogenen Weichteilinfektionen und thermischem Wirkungskomplex unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der gefühlten Temperatur. Statistische Analyse von 2111 Patienten.

A possible correlation between the thermal effects of the weather and the frequency of odontogenic soft-tissue infections was investigated with special regard to the so-called felt temperature (gT). Clinical data of 2111 patients of the years 1992-1996 in whom an incision was made because of an odontogenic soft-tissue infection were evaluated retrospectively and correlated to meteorological data for Aachen, collected or calculated by the "Deutsche Wetterdienst". In order to describe the thermal exchange between the human organism and the surroundings in a satisfactory way, the gT was chosen. The gT is a complexly calculated meteorological parameter which allows physiologically adequate estimation of the thermic surroundings of humans. Over the whole study time there was no impressive correlation between course and changing of the gT and the frequency of odontogenic soft-tissue infections. This result agrees with our finding that there was no seasonal accumulation of odontogenic soft-tissue infections over the year in Aachen. Nevertheless, there was a statistically significant negative correlation between values or weighted changes of the gT and the frequency of abscess and/or infiltration in the winter and less in springtime. A similar statistically significant correlation could not be found for summer or autumn.